Since February 2018, UNODC has been supporting the deployment of a Nigerian prosecutor in Italy, as liaison magistrate for the Nigerian Central Authority embedded in the prosecution offices of Catania and Palermo. She is facilitating information sharing among competent authorities and, above all, facilitating mutual legal assistance between Italy and Nigeria on smuggling of migrants and, incidentally, trafficking in persons. Read more

G5 Sahel - UNODC partnership: a rich track record for the first half of 2018

A strong and multidimensional partnership was developed between UNODC and the G5 Sahel to assist its five member states (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) in the implementation of their security-related priorities, according to their own needs. During the first semester of 2018, at the request of Member States, UNODC continued and expanded its assistance to the G5 Sahel. Read more

30 July : UNODC campaigns against trafficking in persons

On 30 July, the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa celebrated the International Day Against Human Trafficking by joining the "Blue Heart" campaign and organizing different activities in Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Niger and Senegal. In Senegal, A national campaign on social media reached out to almost 100 000 "followers" and raised awareness on children in the streets of Dakar. Read more

UNODC promotes the fight against transnational organized crime in Senegal

As part of the " Project to strengthen national capacity for the detection and investigation of cross-border crime between The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal " UNODC conducted a national training workshop on detection and profiling techniques against transnational organized crime from 16 to 27 July 2018 in Dakar, Senegal. This project represents a unique opportunity to promote sub-regional cooperation among law enforcement agencies from these three countries. Read more

UNODC strengthens Nigerien diplomatic and consular staff training on trafficking in persons

UNODC, jointly with ANLTP / TIM, organized a training workshop for diplomats and consular officials to make them aware of their crucial role in the fight against trafficking in persons that can help them strengthen their actions in this area. This activity took place in Niamey from 24 to 26 of July 2018 and brought together 20 participants from Nigerien diplomatic and consular representations abroad. Read more

UNODC supports the efforts of Cabo Verde to combat human trafficking

In the framework of the Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons , UNODC supported the Government of Cabo Verde to strengthen the criminal justice response to trafficking in persons through a holistic approach. Therefore, UNODC held a series of two training workshops against Trafficking in Persons for a multidisciplinary group of practitioners, in Praia, to strengthen the national capacity to counter this crime. Read more

UNODC challenges prosecutors to solve a fictitious organized crime and corruption case

CRIMJUST, the WACAP Network and the UNODC Project in Nigeria held a two-day practical exercise on strengthening integrity and strategy in investigation and prosecution of complex cases, from 19 to 20 July 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria. The aim was to to strengthen their investigation management skills. This workshop targeted the same participants as the three-day workshop on the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime in Lagos, between 16 and 18 July 2018. Read more

UNODC and the Nigerian Drugs Project together to combat drug trafficking

CRIMJUST, the WACAP Network and the UNODC Project in Nigeria organized a joint three-day workshop in Lagos, Nigeria, between 16 and 18 July 2018. The workshop's aim was for 30 Ghanaian, Liberian and Nigerian criminal justice practitioners, including 5 women, to discuss and share good practices, to increase the efficiency of investigations and prosecutions on complex drug trafficking and organized crime cases. Read more

UNODC launches criminal intelligence analysis training in The Gambia

Despite the political transition in the Gambia, drug trafficking, illicit trafficking and organized crime continue to threaten the security, rule of law and development of the country. To help strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies in their fight against drug trafficking and related organized crime, UNODC organized a two-week Criminal Intelligence Analysis Training Course, from 9 to 20 July in Banjul. Read more

UNODC supports the establisment of a new Law Enforcement Unit in Ghana

In July 2018, UNODC refurbished and equipped a new Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) located in Koforidua, 55 km North of Accra, in the Eastern region. This new Unit was officially launched on 19 July to support the strengthening of the capacity of law enforcement agencies in this region in Ghana in order to fight against drug trafficking and related organized crime. Read more

UNODC and the G5 Sahel strengthen their partnership

In order to strengthen their partnership, UNODC and the G5 Sahel jointly organized, on 18 July 2018, a coordination meeting at the G5 Sahel headquarters in Nouakchott. The meeting was concluded with the validation of a road map, updating the assistance provided by UNODC to G5 Sahel, notably in terms of assistance to the PCMS and the police component of the Joint Force. Read more

UNODC supports the Sahelian prisons to prevent radicalization

The Nelson Mandela International Day on 18 July is the occasion to highlight how UNODC is supporting Sahelian countries in their efforts to prevent radicalization in prison. UNODC undertook a security audit in selected prisons in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger and organized a regional workshop to develop a risk assessment tool and several sub-regional training sessions. Read more

UNODC trains police officers against organized crime in Mauritania and in Chad

For several months UNODC has been organizing two-weeks long training sessions on criminal intelligence and joint investigations in each Sahelian countries. After Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, UNODC has replicated and adapted this training session in Mauritania and Chad, respectively from 18 to 29 June and from 2 to 13 July 2018. Over 40 participants in total, including 18 women, participated in the training workshops. Read more

UNODC and Japan donate two patrol boats to Ghana

UNODC recognizes that maritime crime poses a serious threat to the safety of seafarers, international trade and regional stability. In this context, on 13 July, UNODC, in partnership with the Japanese Government, donated two alligator patrol boats to the Ghana Marine Police during a ceremony in Tema, to enhance their operations in combating maritime crime. Read more

UNODC organized a mock trial on a piracy case in Nigeria

The UNODC's experience in maritime capacity building and regional coordination, makes the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) uniquely placed to assist States to face the challenges in the Gulf of Guinea. In Nigeria, a piracy case mock trial was held in Abuja, between the 27 and the 30 June 2018, led by UNODC in partnership with Interpol and US AFRICOM. Read more

UNODC supports the new national action plan against trafficking in persons in Mali

A workshop to finalize and validate this new National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons (2018-2022) was held in Sikasso, Mali, from 25 to 29 June 2018. This National Action Plan, adapted to Malian realities, was drafted and adopted at the end of the workshop by the National Coordination Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons and Assimilated Practices, with the support of UNODC and IOM. Read more

UNODC supports the adoption of training manuals for magistrates schools

UNODC organized a regional workshop from the 25 ^th to 27 ^th of June 2018 in Bamako, Mali, in order to develop a training syllabus on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling for the judicial training schools of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. During this workshop, two draft training manuals were submitted to participants for validation. Read more

UNODC marks World Drug Day 2018 in West Africa

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking is a major event on UNODC's annual calendar. In West and Central Africa, many events took place on June 26th to celebrate this date and raise awareness through the "Listen First" campaign. In Dakar, celebrations took place too and UNODC took the opportunity of this day to launch the World Drug Report (2018) during a press conference. Read more

High-level meeting in Niger against smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons

UNODC participated to a regional conference organized at the initiative of the Government of Niger in Niamey on 18 and 19 June 2018, which brought together the general directors and senior commanders of security forces in charge of fighting against smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. This high-level meeting is part of the implementation of the Joint Declaration of 16 March 2018. Read more

Seizure of 2,5 tons of cannabis by AIRCOP Niamey

A seizure of nearly 2.5 tons of cannabis took place on June 13, 2018 in Niamey, Niger, country used as a transit point between the Maghreb and Europe by many traffickers. This is the largest seizure since the beginning of the AIRCOP project in 2010, implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC) to build the capacity of international airports to detect drugs, other illicit goods. Read more

G5 Sahel: UNODC strengthens capacities of specialized police services in Niger

UNODC organized a national training workshop from 28 May to 8 June 2018 in Niamey, Niger for 20 police officers (including 4 women) from various police services specialized on the fight against terrorism and organized crime. This training activity is part of the support of UNODC to the G5 Sahel and focuses on joint investigations, in particular criminal intelligence. Read more

UNODC revives its activities against TIP and SOM in Côte d'Ivoire

A UNODC delegation traveled to Abidjan between 28 May and 1 June 2018 to revive its action in the territory and meet with key partners. UNODC activities in the country had been suspended in 2016. Two new projects were launched during the mission, focusing on the fight against trafficking in persons and on combating smuggling of migrants and promoting their access to human rights. Read more

UNODC and South Korea strenghten criminal justice in the Gambia

UNODC and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a grant agreement on May 31 to assist the Government of The Gambia in improving the criminal justice and prison reform sector and strengthening the implementation of the law. This project also aims to support The Gambia in its historic democratic transition. UNODC is supporting the Government of The Gambia with similar projects. Read more

UNODC supports municipal actors in Dakar on forced child begging

UNODC, with the financial support of USAID, organized a capacity-building workshop for municipal actors in Dakar from 22 to 24 May 2018 in Mbour to improve participants' understanding of human trafficking and forced begging. This project contributes to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goal on combating all forms of violence against children. Read more

Training workshop on drug detection kits in Segou, Mali

UNODC organized a training workshop on detection of drug kits in Segou, Mali, from 21 to 25 May. The objective was to familiarize law enforcement officers with methods for rapid detection of drugs and related substances through a detection kit provided by UNODC, to provide them with the tools they need to effectively fight against drug trafficking in the region. Read more

UNODC supports launch of anti-corruption platform in West Africa

UNODC supports the launch of an online platform for investigative journalism in West Africa CENOZO as part of its strategy to fight corruption in the Sahel. This Burkina Faso-based initiative in Ouagadougou brings together more than 50 journalists from West Africa with the aim of strengthening the capacity of investigative journalists. CENOZO is supported by many NGO. Read more

UNODC participates to an international conference to support the Gambia

The International Conference for The Gambia was held in Brussels on 22 May 2018 to support The Gambia in its historic and crucial democratic transition and raise financial support from the international community for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) of Gambia. Mr Pierre Lapaque, UNODC Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, attended the International Conference. Read more

UNODC supports legal reform related to human trafficking in Mali

From 14-18 May, UNODC organized a consultative workshop with the Ministry of Justice, the National Coordinating Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons and Related Practices, the Legal Drafting Committee and EUCAP Sahel in order to discuss the legislative analysis and to make recommendations on how to strengthen the legal framework on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. Read more

Strengthening Mauritania's criminal justice system in the fight against terrorism

UNODC organized a training workshop in Nouakchott from 8-10 May as part of a project aiming to formulate an Action Plan for Mauritania to identify the objectives and priorities of the country in the fight against terrorism from a criminal justice standpoint.The workshop aimed at strengthening the capacities of justice main actors in building a terrorism-related case, by using existing cases and practical exercises. Read more

UNODC trains Malian judicial police officers on combating trafficking in persons

As part of the Regional Strategy to combat Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants, UNODC organized a training workshop from 08 to 11 May 2018 at the National Police Academy in Bamako, Mali, to fight against human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, an increasingly worrying phenomenon in West Africa, a a focal point for victims of trafficking, and for smuggled migrants. Read more

Taking action where we can to stop cybercrime

UNODC Executive Director sounds the alarm on the international threat that cybercrime represents. In West Africa, UNODC experts conducted an assessment mission on cybercrime in September 2017 and it revealed that the region is dramatically vulnerable to cybercrime. UNODC calls the countries to cooperate and exchange information to fight cybercrime. Read more

UNODC trains investigators of the upcoming specialized police service in Burkina Faso

UNODC organized a training activity in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 16 April to 27 April 2018 for investigators of the Police and Gendarmerie. It brought together 15 judicial police officers designated to integrate the upcoming specialized counter-terrorism service. During the first week, participants were trained on criminal intelligence analysis. Read more

First multi-stakeholder training workshop on trafficking in persons in Togo

UNODC is supporting Togo in its efforts to strengthen its national response to trafficking in persons and to improve the situation of thousands of victims, including women and children. In partnership with IREX, UNODC organized a series of training sessions on trafficking in persons and on the new penal code of 2015 for 42 participants, in Kpalimé, between 17 and 26 April 2018. Read more

UNODC supports Guinea-Bissau in the fight against transnational organize crime

UNODC organized a two-week training course, for 23 law enforcement officers, from 16 to 27 April, in Bissau, on the detection and interdiction of cross-border crime, including investigation, profiling and interview techniques. This training is part of the project aiming at enhancing national capacities to detect and investigate cross-border organized crime in the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. Read more

Symposium on the responsibility of judges in protecting victims of trafficking

The Magistrates Union of Senegal (UMS), in partnership with the National Unit to Combat Trafficking in Persons and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has organized a symposium on the responsibility of judges in protecting victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, from 17 to 19 April in Dakar. This event brought together 50 participants, including 6 women. Read more

Strengthening regional cooperation in the fight against the smuggling of migrants

UNODC organized a subregional workshop in Niamey, from 16 to 18 April 2018, to strengthen the dynamics of the fight against the smuggling of migrants in Mali, Morocco and Niger, three particularly affected countries. Each of the delegations presented the progress and challenges encountered in the establishment and strengthening of national structures to combat the smuggling of migrants. Read more

UNODC trains and assists specialized police services in Mali

Following criminal intelligence training in the five G5 Sahel member countries in 2017, UNODC has organized in Bamako a national mentoring training on joint investigation teams, from 3 to 13 April 2018. During the mentoring phase, OCS officials and the UNODC expert have pointed to the presence of amphetamine in tablets purchased for 50 FCFA on one market of the capital. Read more

Supporting the Police Component of the G5 Sahel Joint Force

The Nigerien G5 Sahel Presidency, supported by UNODC, organized a workshop on the operationalization of the Police component of the Joint Force from 10 to 12 April 2018, in Niamey in Niger, to discuss the operationalization of the Joint Force police component and the assistance that can be provided by the technical and financial partners in this area. Read more

UNODC assists Niger in its fight against terrorism

Within the framework of the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel to implement an international legal instruments against terrorism, UNODC organized a training workshop on terrorism financing in Niger, from 26 to 28 March 2018. A mock trial exercise was conducted and will be replicated in other countries. The activity provides an efficient legal and judicial response to the fight against terrorism. Read more

UNODC supports Mali in the fight against trafficking in persons

In order to enhance Mali's response to trafficking in persons and related practices, the National Coordination Committee, in collaboration with UNODC and IOM, organized a national workshop to assess the impact of the previous National Action Plan (2015-2017) and to develop a new one for 2018-2022. The workshop took place in Sikasso Mali, from 19 to 23 March 2018. Read more

First objectives achieved for the SCP of the G5 Sahel

Since January 2018, G5 Sahel countries have exchanged information on the fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism for the first time in a systematic and institutionalized way in this region, thanks to the SCP, a regional police cooperation mechanism, supported by UNODC, and adopted in November 2015 by the Heads of States of the G5 Sahel. Read more

Strengthening strategic capacities and training curricula of Police and Gendarmerie Schools

A training of trainers' workshop on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants for instructors from Police and Gendarmerie schools of Niger, was organized from 2 April to 5 April 2018 in Niamey. During the closing ceremony, UNODC offered educational material, computers and video projectors, to the Police and Gendarmerie Schools. Read more

UNODC deploys a Mobile training Unit in Ghana to fight against drug trafficking

The Republic of Ghana has been the first country to benefit from a Mobile Training Unit intended for the law enforcement agencies. The deployment happened in Accra from 20 to 23 March 2018. Following an assessment visit carried out a few months ago, it was agreed that the Narcotic Control Board of Ghana (NACOB) will be the host agency of the MTU. Read more

UNODC and the WACAP study violent extremism in West Africa

UNODC and the WACAP convened a meeting in Dakar, on 20-21st March, to bring together around the table the civil society and the criminal justice to discuss on how they can better prevent and address violent extremism in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. This meeting followed a study conducted by UNODC in these five countries during the last five months. Read more

Mali achieves positive results in the fight against fraudulent medicine

For the past 3 years, the total amount of seized fraudulent medicine by the BMI adds up to 19.88 tons. In 2018 alone, 1,8 tons were seized while the amount in 2017 alone is 9,6 tons representing over 7 million pills. UNODC continues to strengthen the capacity of Malian authorities to combat transnational organized crime. Read more

Helping the authorities in Mali go after the terrorists' money

Mali is facing a unique combination of threats associated with illicit trafficking and terrorism. Disrupting the flow of funding to terrorist groups through targeted financial sanctions is one way to reduce threats in the country. To help law enforcement agencies better understand these threats, UNODC has developed a training course on advance financial disruption techniques. Read more

UNODC strengthens its partnership with Peacekeeping Operations in the region

Building on the successes of the existing partnerships with the MINUSCA and MINUSMA, UNODC signed cooperation agreements with both organizations (7 March and 15 March 2018 respectively) to further strengthen their collaborations. These two milestone agreements are the first between UNODC and UN Peacekeeping Operations, whereby UNODC receives dedicated budgets to support the justice sector. Read more

Organization of a workshop for instructors at magistrates schools in the Sahel

Magistrates play a leading role in the fight against trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. From 12 to 14 March 2018, UNODC organized a sub-regional workshop in Dakar to train 30 instructors from magistrates schools of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger on the judicial treatment of offenses related to trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. Read more

The UNODC Sahel Programme holds its 3rd Steering Committee meeting

The Sahel Programme held its 3rd Steering Committee meeting in Dakar from the 6 to 8 March 2018. Representatives of the States of the Sahel, the G5 Sahel Permanent Secretariat, UNODC Regional Offices and Headquarters took the opportunity to refocus the strategy of the Programme and to update the priorities in the fight against terrorism and TOC. Read more

UNODC encourages Women Empowerment in West Africa

Socio-cultural barriers and gender inequalities are deeply entrenched in West African societies. To mark the 2018 International Women's Day, UNODC takes the opportunity to remind the importance of encouraging the participation of women in law enforcement and justice sectors and to promote gender equality and empowerment of women in the region. Read more

Sahel: Governments achieve positive results with UN Support

Despite numerous challenges and threats, Sahelian governments remain committed to developing their criminal justice systems against illicit trafficking, organized crime and terrorism. The United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime Sahel Programme has been committed to assisting Sahelian governments in creating this positive change in the region. Read more

Sub-Regional Train-the-Trainers Workshop on Human Rights

UNODC organized, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a sub-regional train-the-trainers (ToT) workshop, in Dakar, Senegal, on human rights, from 26 February to 2 March, in Dakar. The workshop is the first in a series of three ToT courses on human rights and the criminal justice responses to terrorism. Read more

Senegal: Launch of the first West African University Course in Addictology

UNODC supported the establishment of the first University Degree in Addictology in West Africa by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Dakar. The main objective of this speciality is to increase the quality of human resources dealing with drug users health care in respect of their human rights. The inaugural lecture took place on February 28, 2018. Read more

Launch of a new Project against Child Begging in Senegal

On 27 February 2018, UNODC, USAID and the municipalities of Medina, Gueule Tapée Fass Colobane, Diameguene Sicap Mbao and Pikine Nord, jointly launched the Phase II of the Project against Child Begging during a big event in Pikine Nord. The Project seeks implementation of local actions in order to reduce and eradicate child begging in Dakar region. Read more

Cabo Verde cooperates with Portugal to strengthen its juvenile justice system

New trends and patterns of violence and crime have emerged in Cabo-Verde posing new challenges to both society and authorities, including related to children and minors. In this context, UNODC organized a mission in Portugal, in February, with a delegation from Cabo Verde in order to exchanges good practices thus strengthening juvenile justice system. Read more

600 detainees assisted by the UNVs of UNODC in Niger

Since July 2017, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), recruited and trained by UNODC, have provided legal aid to more than 600 detainees suspected of terrorism in the prisons of Niamey, Kollo and Koutoukalé in Niger. The effectiveness of a legal response to terrorism heavily depends on the respect of basic human rights of detainees suspected in terrorism cases. Read more

UNODC Sahel Programme reaches 10,000 beneficiaries

By providing legislative and technical assistance, the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime Sahel Programme strengthens the capacities of relevant national and regional authorities. Since its launch in 2014, the UNODC Sahel Programme has implemented more than 400 activities reaching 10,000 direct beneficiaries in the Sahelian region Read more

West African CSOs coordinate against drug abuse

The United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime and ECOWAS organized a workshop in Abuja, from 7th to 9th January 2018 to "Building CSOs Capacity for Substance Use Prevention and Care in ECOWAS member states and Mauritania". The workshop provided skills and knowledge to develop and carry out effective evidence-based prevention interventions. Read more

Signature of a Letter of Agreement for the establishment of a JAITF at Maputo airport

The government of Mozambique and UNODC have signed a letter of Agreement for the establishment of a Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) at Maputo airport. Mozambique will become the 16th country in Africa to launch the establishment of a Task Force in the framework of the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP). Read more

UNODC sounds the alarm on the increase in trafficking and consumption of tramadol

UNODC warns the international community on the implications of non-medical use of tramadol on the economies and security of West Africa, and the Middle East and its broader linkages with the global fight against terrorism and TOC. Abusive consumption and trafficking of tramadol play a direct role in the destabilization of the region. Read more

Fighting against terrorism in the Sahel: Study visit of the Burkinabe authorities in Niger

A study visit in Niamey, was organized from 6 to 8 February 2018, by UNODC for officials of the Ministries of Justice and Security, members of the Specialized Judiciary Unit and investigators of the police and the gendarmerie ofof Burkina Faso. Indeed, Niger has already developed good practices related to the judicial processing of terrorism cases in a Sahelian context. Read more

Ghana: Investigations Handbook for Drug Law Enforcement

The United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime has developed a investigations Handbook to strengthen the capacity of Ghana's law enforcement agencies in the fight against drug trafficking. This Handbook was officially presented in Accra on February 8, 2018 by the General Director of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police. Read more

Train the trainer workshop in Niger and Mali

UNODC organized a training of trainers on investigation and prosecution of terrorism cases for instructors at police and gendarmerie national training institutes in Niger, from 23 to 26 January, and in Mali. from 30 January to 2 February.The instructors received a training on how to deliver the new curriculum on terrorism prevention. Read more

UNODC facilitates cooperation between the G5 Sahel and the Maghreb

UNODC organized a Forum to promote South-South cooperation between the Maghreb and Sahel countries in their fight against illicit trafficking and transnational organized crime. This cooperation and exchange of information becomes crucial as the security threats are becoming more complex and transnational in nature. Read more

2017 : positive results in the fight against firearms trafficking and for AIRCOP

In 2017, the G5 Sahel states, particularly Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, have achieved substantial results in the fight against the trafficking of firearms and with the AIRCOP project. On one side, 35,777 firearms have been marked. On the other side, JAITFs officials in Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou international airports seized 20.91 kg of cocaine, among other. Read more

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