Issue 112 | September 30, 2018
A quick and easy update of the latest UNODC and international drugs and crime news. Can't read this newsletter? View it online here
UN Secretary-General calls for urgent action on world drug problem as High-level General Assembly week kicks-off
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the need to act urgently on the global drug challenge at a High-Level Counter-Narcotics event at UN Headquarters in New York. "You are focussing a global spotlight on the world drug problem, and we have never needed it more" he said. The UN Secretary-General said this was more than just a policy issue, "All of us should know that this can knock on our door at any moment," he said, and called for immediate action. [Read More]
Coca Crops in Colombia at all-time high, UNODC Report finds
The area under coca cultivation in Colombia reached the highest ever recorded figure of 171,000 hectares (ha) in 2017, according to UNODC's Coca Cultivation Survey Report for Colombia, launched in Bogota. This represents an increase of 25,000 hectares, or 17 per cent in 2017 compared to 2016. According to the Report, produced by the Integrated System for Monitoring Illicit Crops Project of UNODC, the departments of Antioquia, Putumayo, Norte de Santander and Cauca show the biggest increase in coca crop area of around 64 per cent. [Read More]
Ecuador's flagship airline TAME EP joins Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking
Ecuador's largest airline TAME EP joined the Blue Heart campaign: #AQUIESTOY (#HereIAm) against human trafficking. Assisted by UNODC, the airline plans to educate thousands of staff and customers to recognize potential trafficking situations and contact relevant authorities rapidly in these critical situations.Every year, criminal organizations traffic tens of millions of people, robbing them of their rights and dignity. Trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour are the most frequently detected forms of this crime, but victims are also used for forced marriages, benefit fraud, pornography, organ removal and as beggars. [Read More]
UNODC takes E4J's Model UN Guide to India
At the invitation of UNODC's Education for Justice initiative, in partnership with the organization Worldview Education , more than sixty leading Indian educators met this month in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Mumbai for a series of discussions on Model United Nations, and on Education for Justice Resource Guide which incorporates crime prevention, criminal justice and other rule of law aspects into Model United Nations conferences. [Read More]
UNODC empowers Southeast European Civil Society Organizations to fight corruption
Corruption affects all countries and undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development and contributes to governmental instability. To train civil society, private sector and government representatives from Southeast Europe to implement the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the only international legally-binding anti-corruption instrument, UNODC organized a regional multi-stakeholder workshop in Serbia. [Read More]
Prosecutors from Africa and Europe agree closer cooperation against human trafficking and migrant smuggling
Dismantling smuggling networks in countries along the Mediterranean routes and protecting migrants requires close collaboration between countries of origin, transit and destination. To strengthen dialogue and foster judicial cooperation was the aim of the first " Africa-Europe Conference on International Judicial Cooperation in Investigation and Prosecution of Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling" held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. [Read More]
More than 5,800 kilograms of cocaine seized in maritime enforcement operation "Sports Bag-2"
Forty-four countries and 52 seaports participated in a two-week maritime enforcement operation in the second quarter of 2018, aimed at disrupting the flow of possible container shipments contaminated with drugs.The intercontinental operation led to 14 seizures and the confiscation of a total of 5,814 kilograms of cocaine. It also resulted in improved risk profiling and enforcement techniques, and increased awareness of this crime. [Read More]
Key Border Control Strategies identified at UNODC's Annual Law Enforcement Experts Meeting
A working document on informal standards for border management and control was drafted and shared with participants at UNODC's annual Law Enforcement Advisors Meeting, held in Vienna. To tackle transnational threats to peace and security, it is essential that UNODC offices and programs cooperate effectively among themselves and with partner organizations. The annual meeting allowed for the exchange of best practices within UNODC and with partners.[Read More]
First Regional Meeting on Fisheries Crime in the Americas held in Guayaquil, Ecuador
The fishing industry generates an estimated 148 billion US dollars per year, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide in the various stages of its value chain. But its volume and complexity also make it vulnerable to exploitation by transnational organized crime. To help address these issues, UNODC and the government of Ecuador organized the first "Regional Conference on Fisheries Crime" of the Americas on 12 and 13 September in Guayaquil, Ecuador. [Read More]
UNODC, IBM and Pasos Libres Foundation organize Colombia's first hackathon against human trafficking
To solve challenges related to the fight against human trafficking, UNODC, IBM and the Pasos Libres Foundation organized the first hackathon in Colombia with the title "BlueHack Pasos Libres contra la Trata de Personas".The event, held on 31 August and 1 September, brought together 88 college students and professionals from universities across Colombia and more than 20 mentors. They all aimed to build technology solutions to solve anti-trafficking challenges. [read More]
UNODC regional workshop seeks to strengthen fight against organized crime in East Africa
Organized Crime threatens the safety and security of communities, violates human rights and undermines sustainable development. The increasingly transnational and flexible nature of criminal networks allow them to forge sophisticated relationships across borders, overcome cultural and linguistic differences, and adapt as new crimes emerge and opportunities arise. An effective response to this threat must likewise cross borders. The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is the main international instrument to counter this scourge, including by facilitating international cooperation between States. [Read More]
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