G5 SahelAs the first partner of the G5 Sahel, UNODC supports the Police Component of the G5 Sahel Joint Force, the Security Cooperation Platform, and the Regional Police Academy. UNODC also supports Cellrad in the prevention of violent extremism and facilitates the design of security-development projects in partnership with UN agencies.
In Niger, the Sahel program also contributes to cross-border cooperation in the Liptako Gourma region.
Transnational Organized CrimeUNODC supports the implementation of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo Convention) and its supplementary protocols. In particular, the program is involved in :
Trafficking in Persons and Illicit Trafficking in Migrants, Drugs and Firearms, Money Laundering and Cybercrime by equipping the country with a digital forensics laboratory. UNODC is also supporting capacity to research and analyze the connections between organized crime and terrorism. In Niger, UNODC has developed a #WhyNotMe communication campaign to encourage women in the defense, security, and justice sectors.
TerrorismUNODC promotes the implementation of international conventions within governments, not only through the development of appropriate national legislation, but also by supporting the judicial processing of terrorism cases. At the request of the Government of Niger, UNODC has designed a project to assist the Judicial Pole Specialized in Counter-Terrorism to handle terrorism cases while ensuring adequate defense for detainees suspected of committing terrorist acts. UNODC is also implementing a project on battlefield evidence collection, response to terrorist attacks, crime scene management, and forensic knowledge.
Anti-CorruptionUNODC supports national authorities to fight corruption more effectively through the implementation of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and in particular through legislative, policy, institutional assistance, and awareness raising of citizens and civil society on anti-corruption issues. In 2015 and 2016, UNCAC provided legislative support for the drafting of the anti-corruption bill, which is still pending, and the HALCIA law, which was passed in 2016. UNODC also strengthened national capacity to investigate and prosecute corruption, through training, as well as the provision of IT equipment to judicial chambers specializing in economic and financial crime.
Strengthening criminal justice systems
In the prison environment, UNODC supports Niger in the areas of.
Prevention of radicalization.
Reducing the number of detainees awaiting trial.
Technical assistance for juvenile justice.
Processing of terrorism cases.
Capacity building for prison staff.
In terms of legal assistance, UNODC has recruited 10 UN Volunteers (UNVs) who have supported more than 1,000 detainees since 2017 in the three prisons holding terrorism suspects (Niamey, Kollo and Koutoukale).
AIRCOP
The Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) supported the Nigerien government in the creation in 2015 of the Airport Anti-Trafficking Unit (CAAT) in Niamey, composed of 17 police officers, gendarmes and national guards.
At the request of the Nigerien government, a second CAAT will be set up in Agadez with the objective of controlling non-commercial private aviation, a growing threat in the region.
