Empowering Youth Ambassadors Driving Sustainable Change in Brazil

Pernambuco, Brazil: Out of Brazil's total population of 203 million, around 45 million are young people (15 to 29 years old), according to the last census in 2022. Brazilian youth face a complex reality: high homicide rates, gang activity and poverty, which can put young people at risk of being victims or perpetrators of violence, limiting their opportunities for... Read More

A teacher in Indian leading a session on integrity education with students in desks sitting around. The logos of SDG 4, SDG 5 and SDG 16 are also featured on the right side.

Training "Integrity Guardians" in India

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India - India is home to one of the largest youth populations in the world, with over 66% of its population (more than 808 million) being below the age of 35 and every fifth person being an adolescent. Although in India, young people are key to integrity, peace, health and sustainable development, many face several challenges that impact their well-being...Read More

Children in a classroom setting wearing pink shirts being led through a training by an instructor. The SDG logos for SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5 and SDG 16 are also featured in the image.

Building Family Skills to Prevent Drug Use and Violence among Rohingya Refugees

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh – Before moving to Cox’s Bazar, Mr. Md. Nur Hossain was a junior school teacher in Myanmar and actively contributed to his community. Unfortunately, as a Rohingya Muslim, his entire family was forced to relocate from Myanmar to Bangladesh to flee from persecution in his home country....Read More

A presentation screen with the words, "YouthLED" featured. SDG 4 and SDG 16 are also featured on the side of the photo.

Empowering Youth and Tackling Corruption through UNODC's first YouthLED Integrity Advisory Board

Vienna, Austria – While corruption is an impediment to development and the attainment of peaceful and just societies, the critical role of youth in driving positive change is being increasingly recognized. Young people have much to lose from corruption but also have an important role to play in supporting anti-corruption efforts and decision-making processes to ensure that laws and policies respond to the concerns of youth and their visions of the future...Read More

Mark Jones from the Born Free NGO is featured with the logos for SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15 and SDG 16

Tackling Wildlife Crime through International Agreement

Vienna, Austria – The world’s wildlife is currently facing an unprecedented crisis with over a million species believed to be at risk of extinction. Anthropogenic factors, such as changes to the way we use land and overexploitation of organisms, have been identified as the main culprits. Moreover, wildlife crime, fuelled by corruption, is a big part of this problem and has a devastating impact on the welfare and conservation of wild animals, the natural ecosystems on which we all rely, and local and national economies and security...Read More

Group of people with UNODC in the background with the SDG 16 and SDG 17 logos featured.

Countering Corruption by Engaging with Young Parliamentarians in Africa

Nairobi, Kenya – Young parliamentarians are stepping up to address corruption and related activities in their country. Senator Mercy Chebeni, the youngest female Member of Parliament in the Republic of Kenya, was nominated to represent and serve the interest of the Kenyan youth and marginalized communities...Read More

Photos of the "Buyer Resist" Team who won first place during the competition. There is also a maple leaf and the logos of SDG 8, SDG 10 and SDG 16.

Engaging with Innovative Ideas to Prevent Trafficking in Persons

Vancouver, Canada – Brian Rae first heard about human trafficking at the age of 17, while volunteering at a foster home in China. That experience made him realize the severity of the issue and led him to abandon his architecture studies to pursue a career as a lawyer, determined to dedicate himself to the abolition of trafficking in persons. Eager to learn more about the human trafficking industry and the work happening to combat it, when a friend told him about the DataJam competition...Read More

A team of soccer players in yellow jerseys with the SDG 11 and SDG 16 logos on the sdie.

Community Leadership in Urban Safety Governance Asessments

Deacon’s Farm, St. Michael, Barbados – Kevin Bishop is an example of a community leader in Deacon’s Farm. As a boy, he grew up participating in various community clubs and afterschool activities at the local community centre, which at the time, was a special project (the Deacon’s Development Project) initially funded by the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime... Read More

A presentation of tires and motorcycles to officials with SDG 15 and SDG 16 logos featured.

Combating Corruption in Wildlife Crime

Nairobi, Kenya – Every organization, no matter how well managed, is exposed to corruption risks. If not proactively managed, these risks may be realized and corruption may spread through the organization. Brig. (Rtd.) John Waweru, Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), is working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to reduce the negative impacts of corruption on wildlife and forestry in Kenya and the wider region... Read More

Adyl's Story: Youth Crime Prevention through Sports

Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan – After graduating from Voenno Antonovka Children’s Orphanage in 2018 at the age of 16, Adyl struggled to start an independent life. Factors such as low income, difficulty finding well-paying jobs and demands from school made it hard to succeed... Read More

Women doing an activity during a UNODC-led workshop. The SDG 3 and SDG 16 logos are also featured.

Empowering Women and Young Leaders to End Drug Abuse

Tumaco, Nariño, Colombia: Keyla Pedraza, like hundreds of other adolescents and women in Colombia, is facing different challenges in her community, such as: risks from gangs, consumption of psychoactive substances and limited access to education. Colombia is currently going through a post-conflict phase.... Read More

UN Officials handing a young women officer a certificate. The logos of SDG 5 and SDG 16 are featured in the corner.

A Step Towards Gender Equality in Somalia

Mogadishu, Somalia: Growing up, Nadifo Mohamed Ahmed has always aspired to become a police officer. Although the Somali police force is generally a male dominated environment, it did not deter her from pursuing her longstanding dream. In early 2017, she was successful in joining the Maritime Police Unit (MPU)... Read More

Children playing outside of a refugee tent with the logos of SDG 3 and SDG 16 featured on the side.

Preventing Drug Use among Refugee Families

Beqaa, Lebanon: Ruba, mother to 11-year old Malath, is a Syrian refugee living in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. After witnessing her father's death during the conflict, Malath became withdrawn, angry and quiet. Ruba started to feel guilty and developed a lack of confidence in her ability to care for Malath. Sensing this situation, Malath's teachers advised the two to take part in a UNODC sponsored school- based evidence- based trauma recovery programme for families. Teaching Recovery Techniques + Parenting, is a five-week programme in which children are made to engage in trauma recovery and resilience training.. Read More

Children lined up along a wall with their backs toward the camera. The logos of SDG 8 and SDG 16 are featured in the corner.

Communities and Local Authorities in Senegal Work Together to End Child Begging

Dakar, Senegal: Forced child begging is one of the main forms of trafficking in Senegal. Thousands of children, commonly known as "talibés", are forced to beg across the country as part of their studies in koranic schools ("daaras"). Many children are trafficked to Senegal from neighbouring countries. A 2018 study conducted by the NGO Global Solidarity Initiative revealed that there are currently about 183,835 talibé children in the Dakar region, including 27,943 children involved in forced begging... Read more

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