The 5th International Conference on Governance, Security and Justice Statistics: Global Challenges and Experiences
Jun 18 2021
The 5th International Conference on Governance, Security and Justice Statistics: Global Challenges and Experiences

Mexico City (Mexico), 18 June 2021 — The 5th International Conference on Governance, Crime and Justice Statistics (GSJ2021) from 14-17 June provided a space to promote dialogue among global entities engaged in the production of statistical information on crime and criminal justice — and their users. Experts discussed the challenges, gaps and quality of existing data at a global level, as well as the importance of its collection, disaggregation and use for decision-making.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) of Mexico joined forces through the Center of Excellence for Statistical Information on Government, Crime, Victimization and Justice (CoE) in order to host this event.  The Korean Statistical Office (KOSTAT) and the Centre of Excellence for Statistics on Crime and Criminal Justice in Asia and the Pacific, provided invaluable support.

The world is undergoing an increasing number of security and crime threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic has posed its share of new challenges. Rising to these challenges requires reliable data and institutions, because research has shown that when countries’ resources to produce and access them are limited, this only serves to exacerbate existing problems.

Meanwhile, new solutions – such as casting the net for data more widely as to extend over the private sector are increasingly helping policymakers create safer and more inclusive societies.

Assessing crime and safety data implies getting a glimpse into victims and perpetrators’ daily lives; by reading biometric data, video surveillance, as well as performing analyses through statistical and geographic software. Advances in technology and the ability to take a closer look into the bigger picture, both significantly support access to justice and crime prevention.

However, technology at the same time has become a new field for crime. Today, the sphere is fraught with fraud, identity theft and a myriad of criminal threats. Due to the borderless nature of cybercrime, the incidences of these crimes increase proportionately with the growing number of illicit markets found on the darknet.

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Famine risk spikes amid conflict, COVID-19 and funding gaps: WFP
Jun 18 2021
Famine risk spikes amid conflict, COVID-19 and funding gaps: WFP

The impact of conflicts old and new, climate shocks and COVID-19, in addition to a lack of funding, have left millions more on the verge of famine than six months ago, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.

Photo: WFP/Saleh Bin Haiyan – A mother feeds her daughter a nutrition bar she received from a mobile health clinic in Yemen.

In an appeal for $5 billion “to avoid famine” and support the “biggest operation in its history”, WFP spokesperson Phiri Tomson said that millions of refugees faced “uncertainty and hunger” as the impact of the pandemic on emergency aid budgets became clearer.

“The number of people teetering on the brink of famine has risen from 34 million projected at the beginning of the year, to 41 million projected as of June”, he said. “Without immediate emergency food assistance, they too face starvation, as the slightest shock will push them over the cliff into famine conditions.”

From bad to worse

According to the latest IPC food insecurity assessments – which humanitarians use to assess needs on a scale of one to five – the 41 million “are people who are in IPC phase 4 – emergency”, the WFP spokesperson explained.

New refugee influxes linked to conflict and drought have increased needs for people in “IPC phase 5 – catastrophe” and “that number stands at 584,000 people”, Mr. Phiri continued. “These are people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, Madagascar, particularly the southern part; South Sudan, especially as we are now at the height of the lean season in that country, and Yemen.”

‘Brutal choices’

Launching its Global Operational Response Plan, the UN agency highlighted operations in no less than eight countries and regions where it has had to make “brutal choices” because of significant funding shortfalls.

In practice, this has meant reduced rations “across east and southern Africa, as well as the Middle East…among some of the world’s most vulnerable people who rely on WFP to survive”, said Mr. Phiri.

“In some cases it’s 40 per cent, in some cases it’s 25 per cent, in some cases it’s 60 per cent…The fact is, the assistance we provide is a basic need, the assistance we provide is just enough to help people get by.”

West and Central Africa in crisis

For many vulnerable aid recipients in West and Central Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has left them without the opportunity to work to supplement their rations and unable to pay for increasingly expensive staple foods. “Countries like Chad, Niger and Burkina, Mauritania; these are all countries of concern, including Sierra Leone as well,” said Mr. Phiri, after a warning by the UN agency that the world was no longer moving towards Zero Hunger.

“Progress has stalled, reversed, and today, more than 270 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure or at high risk in 2021,” it said in a statement.

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Join the official launch of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism
Jun 18 2021
Join the official launch of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

This Tuesday 22 June at 14:00, the website for submitting entries to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism will be officially launched at the Press Club Brussels Europe.

Matthew Caruana Galizia, one of Daphne Caruana’s sons, David Casa, Quaestor and Member of the European Parliament, and Heidi Hautala, Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament, will participate in the session.

The Prize, with the support of the European Parliament, is a tribute to the Maltese investigative journalist and blogger who was assassinated in October 2017. It will reward on a yearly basis outstanding journalism promoting or defending the core principles and values of the European Union, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights.

The Prize is open to professional journalists and teams of professional journalists of any nationality to submit in-depth stories that have been published or broadcast by a media outlet based in one of the 27 European Union member states.

The winning entry will be selected by an independent jury composed of representatives of the press and civil society from the 27 EU countries, as well as representatives of the main European journalism associations.

The Prize itself, and the €20 000 prize money, demonstrate the European Parliament’s strong support for investigative journalism and the protection of journalists around the world.

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During European Development Days, UNODC and partners call for repositioning in urgent battle against wildlife crime
Jun 16 2021
During European Development Days, UNODC and partners call for repositioning in urgent battle against wildlife crime
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16 June 2021 – A grave concern across the globe, wildlife trafficking continues to represent a major form of organized crime. Fueling not only a danger of extinction for several species – a factor exacerbated by climate change and environmental degradation – but also the criminal networks behind this, trafficking is an existential threat everywhere. This includes in Europe, where the European Green Deal designed to address environmental challenges in the 21st century, also factors in the real threat of wildlife crime. At this year’s recent European Development Days forum – with its theme of ‘The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future’ – wildlife crime took centre stage. Convened by the European Commission, the forum brought together members of the development community with policymakers to share ideas and experiences and inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to pressing challenges.

During the forum, UNODC, on behalf of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), organized a high-level panel discussion on the role of the Green Deal and its potential to end wildlife trafficking.

Opening the event, Jorge Eduardo Rios, Chief of the UNODC Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime, stated that the importance of addressing wildlife trafficking under the Green Deal cannot be underestimated. UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly congratulated the European Union on its ambitious Green Deal and 2030 Biodiversity Strategy. “Now, more than ever, we need to address wildlife crime as a serious form of organized crime by making use of the international instruments at our disposal, and harmonizing legislation across regions to prevent traffickers from exploiting gaps.” Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen meanwhile spoke on the need for renewed efforts in this area: “Business as usual is not an option when it comes to fighting criminal networks involved in wildlife and forest crime,” she noted. “The fight against wildlife and timber trafficking links with our priorities on biodiversity, climate, support of vulnerable groups and fight against insecurity.”

Reflecting the importance of the topic, the panel included a number of high-level attendees. HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands moderated the discussion, with panelists Koen Doens, the Director-General for International Partnerships (INTPA); HRH Prince Emmanuel Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park; Cristián Samper, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); and Nomsa Betty Kamanga, Young Leader from Zambia.

With wildlife under intense pressure from human activity and over-exploitation, the panellists offered their insights and perspectives into the destructive relationship of crime and corruption. They also flagged the deadly role of criminal groups and their dire impact on deforestation and the loss of multiple wild species, affecting whole ecosystems which continues to contribute to climate change, and negatively impact trade, economic development and security.

Weak governance was also highlighted, and panellists described how a lack of adequate responses have exacerbated the poaching crises in many biodiversity hotspots affecting both wildlife and communities dependent on natural resources. Indeed, pointing to this as she closed the event, HRH Princess Laurentien called on the international community to “rethink and reposition the urgent battle against wildlife crime, through true connection and cooperation at all levels to make this a top priority in the broader sense of climate change, nature conservation, health and many other aspects included in the Green Deal.”

The European Green Deal provides an action plan to restore biodiversity, cut pollution, and boost the efficient use of resources by moving to a clean, circular economy. The plan outlines investments needed and financing tools available.

As an important partner for UNODC – and ICCWC members – the European Union has invested major resources into the protection of biodiversity, antipoaching and anti-trafficking efforts across Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is a key donor to UNODC’s Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime and ICCWC’s Strategic Programmes.

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Five polio vaccination workers shot dead in Afghanistan; UN condemns ‘brutal’ killings
Jun 15 2021
Five polio vaccination workers shot dead in Afghanistan; UN condemns ‘brutal’ killings
Five health workers carrying out a polio vaccination campaign in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province were killed on Tuesday, and four others injured, during a series of attacks condemned by a senior UN official on the ground as brutal and “senseless”.
The UN humanitarian coordination office OCHA, said the deaths and injuries occurred during five separate attacks on health workers – the latest in a recent spate which saw three health workers killed in March during the national polio vaccination effort in Nangahar.

Earlier this month, humanitarian workers with the Halo Trust demining group, came under attack in northern Afghanistan,  where extremists from an ISIL affiliate killed ten and wounded more than a dozen, in what the UN Security Council described as an “atrocious and cowardly targeted attack”.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, said that he was “appalled by the brutality of these killings” on Tuesday, adding that “the senseless violence must stop”, urging Afghan authorities to bring those responsible to justice.

He said the national campaign which only began on Monday, aimed at reaching nearly 10 million under-fives, had been suspended in the eastern region. “Polio immunization campaigns are a vital and effective way to reach millions of children…Depriving children from an assurance of a healthy life, is inhumane.”

An attack on children

“The UN strongly condemns all attacks on health workers anywhere. The delivery of healthcare is impartial, and any attack against health workers and those who work to defend them, is an attack on the children, whose very lives they are trying to protect”, he added.

The UN extended deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives, wishing the injured a full recovery.

Tedros ‘deeply saddened’

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, tweeted that he was “deeply saddened” by the attacks, adding that “access to essential health service and immunization campaigns should be unimpeded so that communities can be protected.”

According to news reports, Afghanistan reported 56 new cases of polio last year. But officials have reported that only one wild polio virus case has been detected in the country since October last year.

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‘Digital dumpsites’ study highlights growing threat to children: UN health agency  
Jun 15 2021
‘Digital dumpsites’ study highlights growing threat to children: UN health agency  
The health of children, adolescents and expectant mothers worldwide is at risk from the illegal processing of old electrical or electronic devices, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, in a landmark new report on the toxic threat. 
In a statement coinciding with the launch, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the health threat was growing, in line with the “mounting ‘tsunami of e-waste’”. 

“In the same way the world has rallied to protect the seas and their ecosystems from plastic and microplastic pollution, we need to rally to protect our most valuable resource –the health of our children – from the growing threat of e-waste”, he added. 

A growing pile 

Discarded electronic devices, or e-waste, has become the fastest growing domestic waste category in the world, according to the UN health agency.  

The Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) said that of the 53.6 million tonnes produced worldwide in 2019, only 17.4 per cent was recorded as collected and appropriately recycled.  

While the fate of the remaining e-waste is unknown, it is unlikely to have been managed and recycled in an environmentally-sound manner.  

Hazards on the heap 

While some e-waste ends up in landfills, significant amounts are often illegally shipped to low and middle-income countries where informal workers, including children and adolescents, pick through, dismantle, or use acid baths to extract valuable metals and materials from the discarded items. 

WHO said that an estimated 12.9 million women who work in the informal waste sector are potentially exposing themselves and their unborn children to toxic residue. 

Additionally, more than 18 million youngsters globally – and some as young as five – are said to be “actively engaged” in the wider industrial sector, of which e-waste processing is a small part.  

‘Devastating’ impact 

Informal methods of removing materials from e-waste have been linked to a range of health effects, especially in children, WHO said.  

Recycling e-waste particularly impacts those in vital stages of physical and neurological development, with children, adolescents and pregnant women most vulnerable. 

Children are more susceptible to the toxic chemicals because they absorb pollutants relative to their size and, with not-fully-developed organs, are less able than adults to eradicate harmful substances. 

“Improper e-waste management is…a rising issue that many countries do not recognize yet as a health problem”, said WHO lead author, Marie-Noel Brune Drisse, warning that if action is not taken now, “its impacts will have a devastating health effect on children and lay a heavy burden on the health sector in the years to come”.  

Improper e-waste management…a rising issue that many countries do not recognize yet as a health problem — WHO

Call to action  

The Children and Digital Dumpsites report delves into the multiple dimensions of the problem, to practical action that the health sector and others concerned, can take to confront the insidious health risk.  

It calls for binding action by exporters, importers and governments to ensure environmentally sound disposal of e-waste and the health and safety of workers and communities. 

The health sector is also being asked to reduce adverse effects from e-waste by building up capacity to diagnose, monitor and prevent toxic exposure, and to advocate for better data and health research on risks faced by informal e-waste workers. 

“Children and adolescents have the right to grow and learn in a healthy environment, and exposure to electrical and electronic waste and its many toxic components unquestionably impacts that right”, said Maria Neira, WHO Director of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health.  

“The health sector can play a role by providing leadership and advocacy, conducting research, influencing policy-makers, engaging communities, and reaching out to other sectors to demand that health concerns be made central to e-waste policies.”

Source: WHO

E-waste toxicants.

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Domestic workers among hardest hit by COVID crisis, says UN labour agency
Jun 15 2021
Domestic workers among hardest hit by COVID crisis, says UN labour agency
Domestic workers globally have been among the hardest hit by the COVID crisis, losing more jobs and working hours than other sectors, the UN labour agency ILO said on Tuesday.
Ten years on from the landmark adoption of the International Labour Organization Convention that confirmed their rights, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder insisted that despite “real progress” in labour laws and social security provision in some countries, these “essential service providers” had rarely been so vulnerable in many others.

“These workers lost their jobs in greater numbers or saw their hours of work reduced to a greater extent than other parts of the workforce”, he said, pointing to ILO data showing that the number of domestic workers in the second quarter of 2020 had fallen by 25 to 50 per cent in most Latin American and Caribbean countries – and by 70 per cent in Peru – compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Most European countries, as well as Canada and South Africa saw job shedding among domestic workers range from five to 20 per cent.

Overall, these losses resulted in a 50 per cent decrease in total working hours for the sector, in the 13 of the 20 countries under review, Mr. Ryder continued, before highlighting the disproportionate impact of the crisis on domestic workers.

Private misery

Countries need to take action, because eight in 10 domestic workers are informally employed and therefore lack legal and welfare protection, the ILO chief said.

“Their status inside the country can be called into question if they lose their jobs (and) many domestic workers live in with their employees, so they could lose their lodgings if they lose their jobs as well. So, behind the aggregated numbers there is a sort of deeper human impact which accentuates even more the suffering involved in the latent economic impact of the COVID pandemic.”

In Brazil, which is the second highest employer of domestic workers in the world, almost seven in 10 employees work informally – double the national average.

This meant that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, fewer than 40 per cent of domestic workers had effective access to social security linked to their employment, said ILO report co-author Claire Hobden.

“Given this impact, the need to formalise domestic work in Brazil is incredibly urgent,” she maintained, noting encouraging efforts by domestic workers and employers that fixes “very different labour standards” in Sao Paolo that others could look to, in order to promote a recovery that focuses on society’s most at-risk after the pandemic.

According to ILO, there are at least 75.6 million domestic workers aged 15 and over, amounting to around one in 25 people employed worldwide. Just over three-quarters are women.

By gender, the highest number of female domestic workers are in Latin America and the Caribbean (91 per cent and 89 per cent respectively)

And while women make up the majority of the workforce in Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, by contrast, male domestic workers outnumber their female counterparts in Arab states (63 per cent) and North Africa. In Southern Asia, the split is relatively even.

UN Women/Joe Saad

Domestic workers are fighting for recognition as workers and essential service providers.

Accepted Convention

Since the adoption of the landmark 2011 Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189) – ratified by 32 of ILO’s 187 Member States to date – Mr. Ryder welcomed the fact that 16 per cent more workers were now covered by labour law protection.

Nonetheless, 36 per cent of the sector remains “wholly excluded” from such legislation, ILO said, noting that in Asia and the Pacific and the Arab States, “the gaps are largest”.

The UN agency also cautioned that even where domestic workers were covered by labour and social protection laws, a lack of implementation was notable. According to the ILO’s latest report on the issue, just under one in five workers in the sector enjoys effective, employment-related, social protection coverage.

Wider significance

It is important that more countries boost domestic workers’ rights, as they are key part of the wider economy, Mr. Ryder maintained.

“Domestic workers are an essential part of the economic infrastructure that allows households to meet their needs,” he said. “Domestic workers also help their workers and particularly women stay in the labour market. And this benefits us all regardless of our area of work, or where we live.

“And as we work towards policies that can create sustainable and equitable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, we do need to ensure that domestic workers are not left behind, quite the reverse; they need to be brought forward in terms of their working conditions to the levels enjoyed by other parts of the workforce.”

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COVID-19 cases drop for seventh week, but deaths fall less slowly: WHO
Jun 14 2021
COVID-19 cases drop for seventh week, but deaths fall less slowly: WHO
The number of new COVID-19 cases reported to the UN health agency has declined for seven weeks in a row, in what the top official there called on Monday “the longest sequence of weekly declines during the pandemic so far”.
However, while weekly cases are at their lowest since February, “deaths are not falling as quickly”, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), told journalists in Geneva. 

“The number of deaths reported last week was similar to the previous week, and the global decline masks a worrying increase in cases and deaths in many countries”, he explained. 

Africa ‘especially concerning’ 

With the least access to vaccines, diagnostics and oxygen supplies for the critically ill, a steep increase in Africa is “especially concerning”, said the WHO chief. 

A recent Lancet medical journal study showed that despite having fewer reported cases than most other regions, the continent has the highest mortality rate among critically ill COVID-19 patients. 

And evidence suggests new variants have substantially increased transmission globally. 

“That means the risks have increased for people who are not protected, which is most of the world’s population”, he stated. 

 Leading nations must step up 

Currently, the virus is moving faster than global vaccine distributions, according to WHO. 

“At the G7 Summit on Saturday, I said that to end the pandemic, our shared goal must be to vaccinate at least 70 per cent of the world’s population by the time the G7 meets again in Germany next year”, Tedros asserted. 

He said the G7 intergovernmental group and G20 leading industrialized nations had the capacity to provide the 11 billion doses needed, and should “make this happen”. 

Tedros also welcomed the G7’s support for WHO, the ACT Accelerator and a proposed treaty on pandemic preparedness, along with their announcement of 870 million vaccine doses, for less well-off nations, primarily through the UN-backed COVAX equitable shots initiative. 

While “a big help…we need more, and we need them faster”, the UN official said, pointing out that more than 10 thousand lives are being lost every day, adding that “during this press conference alone, more than 420 people will die.” 

Vaccine urgency 

Communities need vaccines “now, not next year”, the WHO chief said. 

There are enough vaccine doses to drive down transmission and save lives globally, “if they are used in the right places, for the right people”, he stated, prioritizing health workers and those most at risk. 

While high vaccination rates in G7 countries have helped bring COVID cases and deaths to near-record lows, most States still rely solely on public health and social measures to keep COVID-19 at bay. 

However new, more transmissible variants mean more stringent measures in low vaccination areas. 

While vaccines have a clear and measurable impact, assessing public health and social measures is tougher as countries use a range of different methods. 

“Disentangling the precise impact of each individual measure can be challenging”, said the WHO chief. 

Moreover effectiveness hinges on the population’s level of adherence and Government’s commitment of support. 

“What matters is not just the measure itself, but how and when it is implemented”, he added. 

© UNICEF/Milequem Diarassouba

A health worker in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, becomes one of the first people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the global rollout of COVAX in Africa.

Prioritize benefits 

All countries should aim to implement measures to maximize the public health benefit, while minimizing social impact, according to the WHO chief. 

To improve evidence-based effectiveness of public health and social measures, he explained that WHO is collecting data globally on which methods are used and the level at which they are applied. 

“We’re also working with several countries and modelling groups to assess the impact of public health and social measures on transmission…[and] established a new WHO working group…to study the impact of public health and social measures during COVID-19 and other health emergencies”, said Tedros. 

Gift of life: Blood 

Also marking World Blood Donor Day, the UN official noted that throughout the pandemic, donors the world over have given blood “and the gift of life”, to others. 

This year highlights the role of youth in supporting safe and sufficient blood supplies now and in the future with the message to “give blood and keep the world beating”.

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UNODC Strategic Vision for Africa: Investing in a transformative approach to promote peace, security, and development
Jun 14 2021
UNODC Strategic Vision for Africa: Investing in a transformative approach to promote peace, security, and development

Vienna (Austria), 11 June 2021 – The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, joined the UNODC Executive Director, Ghada Waly, to present UNODC’s Strategic Vision for Africa 2030 at a high-level event organized in New York. With less than ten years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Africa is at a crossroads. The Decade of Action is a crucial time for securing the well-being of Africa’s people, their societies, economies and their environment.

In the ever-evolving security challenges and its impact on economic growth and sustainable development, the Strategic Vision frames how UNODC and Member States will partner to strengthen Africa’s responses to drug control, transnational organized crime, terrorism, corruption and illicit financial flows.

Opening the event, the Deputy Secretary-General highlighted that “UNODC’s Strategic Vision aims to harness largely untapped power for positive transformation. It aims to leverage all of the continent’s capacities, and the potential of its 226 million young people, to create renewed momentum towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063.”

The event comprised 12 high-level speakers including the Deputy Chair of the African Union Commission, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, World Bank Managing Director Mari Pangestu, the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, Åsa Regnér and the Chair of UN Peace Building Commission, H.E. Mohamed Fathi Ahmed Edrees, amongst other distinguished panellists.

“The Strategic Vision recognizes that Africans are Africa’s most precious resource, and that we can do so much more to empower youth, women, and civil society, to leverage their potential for innovation and action towards safe and prosperous communities,” said Ms. Waly in her opening statement.

Speakers highlighted various actions that need to be prioritized to achieve greater impact on the ground and contribute to peace, security, and development agendas. Interventions also focused on the necessity to enable action through strong partnerships with UN agencies, IFIs and other stakeholders. The Deputy Chair of the African Union Commission, H.E. Monique Nsanzabaganwa highlighted that the Strategic Vision “sets in motion a stronger and more ambitious partnership with our continent, building on shared interests and values. We look forward to strengthen the collaboration and mechanisms for joint programme planning, resource mobilization and implementation.”

“The five Investment Areas articulated in the Vision are the core of our work and link well with our strategic and thematic continental frameworks,“ she added.

Statements from representatives from the current three African members of the UN Security Council (Kenya, Niger and Tunisia), as well as Eritrea as the Chair of the Africa Group echoed the numerous complex challenges posed by organized and economic crime, illicit financial flows, terrorism, illicit exploitations of natural resources and drug trafficking, notably at a critical moment as the continent recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy and Chair of the G20, H.E. Stefano Stefanile supported the Strategic Vision and commended UNODC’s support to African countries, institutions, and people in strengthening crime prevention, criminal justice and improving the rule of law.

Positive partnerships between UNODC and other UN organizations were underlined by the deputy Executive Director of UN Women who underlined the joint work to combat criminal actions and stop impunity on gender-based violence, and by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who emphasised how both organizations are “bringing new emphasis on innovation, data and technology (…) through a common approach in the area of technology as an ideal segway into our joint partnership.” “Another example of our good collaboration is in the development of the UN Common Position on Incarceration, on which DPO, UNODC and OHCHR worked as co-penholders. This position paper was launched in 2021 and couldn’t have been timelier in view of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.

The UNODC Strategic Vision for Africa 2030 outlines our mission to provide more safety to Africa’s people, government and institutions from drugs, crime, corruption, terrorism and illicit financial flows. Through three value propositions, five investment areas and six change enablers, our Vision seeks to strengthen crime prevention, enhance justice, address organized crime, ensure a balanced response to drugs, improve the rule of law and bolster resilience.

Building on decades of partnership and engagement with African countries, UNODC will work within our unique mandate towards these goals with a focus on whole-of-society approaches and inclusion of the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

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Landmark G7 agreement pledges 870 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, half by end-2021 
Jun 13 2021
Landmark G7 agreement pledges 870 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, half by end-2021 
A senior UN official welcomed on Sunday, the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations’ commitment to immediately share at least 870 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, supporting global access and helping to end the acute phase of the pandemic. 
“Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines represents the clearest pathway out of this pandemic for all of us — children included, and commitments announced by G7 members…are an important step in this direction”, the Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore, said in a statement. 

Building on the momentum of the G20 Global Health Summit and the Gavi COVAX AMC Summit, in a landmark agreement at the G7 Summit – underway in Cornwall, United Kingdom – the global leaders made the pledge, with the aim of delivering at least half by the end of 2021  

Secretary-General António Guterres had also said that despite “unequal and very unfair” access to inoculations, “it is in the interest of everybody that everybody gets vaccinated sooner rather than later”.  

The G-7 leaders also reaffirmed their support for the UN-led equitable vaccine distribution initiative COVAX, calling it “the primary route for providing vaccines to the poorest countries”. 

Prompt action, please 

The COVAX alliance, meanwhile, welcomed the G7’s commitment, including their continued support for exporting in significant proportions and for promoting voluntary licensing and not-for-profit global production. 

The partners look forward to “seeing doses flowing to countries” as soon as possible.  

COVAX will work with the G7 and other countries that have stepped up to share doses as rapidly and equitably as possible to help address short-term supply constraints currently impacting the global response to COVID-19 and minimize the prospect of future deadly variants. 

“We have reached a grim milestone in this pandemic: There are already more dead from COVID-19 in 2021 than in all of last year”, lamented Ms. Fore. “Without urgent action, this devastation will continue”. 

Aligning interests 

Noting the need for a “ramp up”, in both the amount and pace of supply, the top UNICEF official attested that when it comes to ending the COVID-19 pandemic, “our best interests and our best natures align. This crisis will not be over until it is over for everyone.” 

The Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, underscored that many countries are facing a surge in cases, without vaccines.  

“We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race, and most countries have barely left the starting line”, he said.  

While grateful for the generous announcements of vaccine donations, he stressed, that “we need more, and we need them faster”. 

Time of the essence 

As many high-income countries begin to contemplate post-vaccination life, the future in low-income countries appears quite bleak.  

“We are particularly worried about the surges in South America, Asia and Africa”, said the UNICEF chief. 

Moreover, as the pandemic rages, the virus mutates and produces new variants that could potentially threaten the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.  

“Donating doses now is smart policy that speaks to our collective best interests”, she continued, adding that in addition to vaccine pledges, “distribution and readiness need clear timelines” as to when they will be available, particularly in countries with poor health infrastructure. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children, affecting every aspect of their lives: their health, education, protection and future prosperity. Now, more than ever, what we do today will have significant and lasting impact on our collective tomorrows. There is no time to waste”, she concluded. 

Explanations 

The G7 is made up of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, UK and United States. 

COVAX was set up by WHO, GAVI the vaccine alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). It is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator to equitably provide COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to all people globally, regardless of their wealth. 

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Counting down to Peace Day, UN chief urges: Stand up against hatred and care for planet 
Jun 13 2021
100 day to anniversary of United Nations “Peace Day”, UN chief urges: Stand up against hatred and care for planet 

Every year on 21 September, the United Nations invites people around the world to celebrate peace by observing 24 hours of ceasefire and non-violence. On Sunday, the UN chief kicked off the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace.

As we strive to heal from the COVID-19 pandemic and reimagine a better future for people and planet, Secretary-General António Guterres introduced this year’s theme: “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world.”

Regardless of ethnicity, location or religion, the virus attacks everyone.

Confronting this common enemy, we must remember that we are not each other’s enemy.

To be able to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, we must make peace with one another.

“Peace is the foundation of that recovery. The global vaccination effort cannot advance amidst armed conflict”, he said in his countdown message.

Moving forward

Moreover, the top UN official underscored that we cannot build a sustainable, resilient and peaceful world while we are “at war with nature”.

“The world cannot go back to what it was”, he stressed.

The Secretary-General upheld that COVID recovery efforts offer humanity an opportunity to transform its relationship with the environment and the entire planet.

“As we count down to the International Day of Peace, I call on people everywhere to be part of a transformation for peace, by standing up against hatred and discrimination, by caring for the planet, and by showing the global solidarity that is so vital at this time”, he concluded.

Looking back

The International Day of Peace was established by the UN General Assembly in 1981.

Two decades later, in 2001, the Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

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The Kremlin agrees to a joint press conference between Putin and Biden after their meeting in Geneva
Jun 13 2021
The Kremlin agrees to a joint press conference between Putin and Biden after their meeting in Geneva

The Kremlin is ready to hold a joint press conference of Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden at the end of the Russian-American summit in Geneva, but a decision has not yet been made.

This was stated in an interview with CNN Dmitry Peskov – spokesman for the Russian president.

Asked why Putin agreed to meet with Biden, Peskov said the Russian president was going to Geneva because “relations between Russia and the United States are bad,” not to be in the same room with his American counterpart.

The first Russian-American summit after Putin’s talks with Donald Trump in Helsinki in July 2018 is scheduled for June 16 in Geneva.

The trip to Geneva will be the Russian leader’s first visit abroad since January 2020, when he visited Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Back at the end of May 31, Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Alliance Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO is striving to improve relations with Russia. According to him, it is necessary to maintain a dialogue, which is even more important in the current conditions. He spoke about this at a press conference before the meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense of the NATO member states, which took place on June 1.

The NATO Secretary-General stressed that the Alliance intends to continue its policy of a double approach towards Moscow. “We will continue our bi-directional policy towards Russia, which is that we provide sufficient protection (NATO countries -” Profile “), but at the same time we work to maintain a meaningful dialogue with Russia. We believe in dialogue,” said Stoltenberg.

The politician stressed that even if relations between NATO and Russia cannot be improved, it is still necessary to maintain a dialogue. It is needed in order to ensure transparency and prevent dangerous incidents, TASS reports, citing Stoltenberg’s words.

Earlier, the NATO Secretary-General said that Russia is behaving aggressively despite the fact that the West offers dialogue, so the alliance is introducing measures to contain it. He explained the essence of the bilateral approach to Russia, assuring that NATO does not want a cold war.

At the same time, in Ukraine, they talked about a “nightmare” over the meeting between Putin and Biden.

Political scientist Bondarenko told RIA Novosti about Ukraine’s “nightmare” over the meeting between Putin and Joe Biden.

The meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin, and Joe Biden, could turn into a “nightmare” for Ukraine, political scientist and director of the Institute of Ukrainian Politics Kost (Konstantin) Bondarenko said in his article in Glavred.

According to the expert, most of all in Kiev they are worried about how the conversation between the two leaders may end. “In this situation, there is only one question – will the US give Ukraine an order to fulfill the Minsk agreements or will it say to continue imitating the implementation process,” Bondarenko said.

According to the political scientist, Biden’s determination to insist on Ukraine’s implementation of the agreements will depend on how much he manages to defuse the situation with Putin. If certain agreements are reached, Washington may begin to put pressure on Kiev, forcing them to implement these Minsk agreements, Bondarenko expressed his opinion, adding that from the moment the agreements were signed, it was the United States that instructed Ukraine to pretend that it adheres to them.

According to the results of the bilateral summit, Washington may set a deadline for the implementation of agreements for Kiev, the political scientist continued. “It will become a nightmare for the Ukrainian authorities – if Washington begins to force Kiev to comply with the Minsk agreements,” he stressed.

At the same time, Bondarenko added that if Ukraine is forced to implement the Minsk agreements in their current form, Kiev can establish closer contacts with Great Britain and “ignore the US position”, taking steps to please London, not Washington, as well as creating regional blocs, to for example, with the participation of Turkey.

“However, in any situation and in any scenario, the fate of a non-subject state will await us, which will be manipulated in the interests of major players.

In order not to be manipulated, we need to become strong and adults ourselves, “the expert concluded.

Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will meet next week on Wednesday. The Kremlin emphasized that it does not expect “much” from the talks because of the existing disagreements between Russia and the United States. The presidents are expected to discuss Russian-American relations, strategic stability, the fight against COVID-19, and the settlement of regional conflicts.

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The WHO seeks to end human rights violations in psychiatry
Jun 11 2021
The WHO seeks to end human rights violations in psychiatry

The mental health care services in Europe and globally in the main continues to be provided in psychiatric wards and hospitals. As The European Times is documenting human rights abuses and coercive practices in these facilities are common. The World Health Organization (WHO) in new guidance material released this week evidence that providing community-based mental health care that is both respectful of human rights and focused on recovery is proving successful and cost-effective.

Photo: Alan de la Cruz from Pixabay

Mental health care recommended in the new guidance by WHO should be located in the community and should not only encompass mental health care but also support for day-to-day living, such as facilitating access to accommodation and links with education and employment services.

WHO’s new “Guidance on community mental health services: promoting person-centred and rights-based approaches” further affirms that mental health care must be grounded in a human rights-based approach, as recommended by the WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2020-2030 endorsed by the World Health Assembly in May 2021.

Fast transition to redesigned mental health services required

“This comprehensive new guidance provides a strong argument for a much faster transition from mental health services that use coercion and focus almost exclusively on the use of medication to manage symptoms of mental health conditions, to a more holistic approach that takes into account the specific circumstances and wishes of the individual and offers a variety of approaches for treatment and support,” said Dr Michelle Funk of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, who led the development of the guidance.

Since the adoption of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006, an increasing number of countries have sought to reform their laws, policies and services related to mental health care. All European countries have signed and ratified this Convention. However, to date, few countries have established the frameworks necessary to meet the far-reaching changes required by international human rights standards.

Reports from around the world highlight that severe human rights abuses and coercive practices are still far too common in countries of all income levels. Examples include forced admission and forced treatment; manual, physical and chemical restraint; unsanitary living conditions; and physical and verbal abuse.

The majority of government mental health budgets still goes to psychiatric hospitals

According to WHO’s latest estimates, governments spend less than 2% of their health budgets on mental health. Furthermore, the majority of reported expenditure on mental health is allocated to psychiatric hospitals, except in high-income countries where the figure is around 43%.

The new guidance, which is intended primarily for people with responsibility for organizing and managing mental health care, presents details of what is required in areas such as mental health law, policy and strategy, service delivery, financing, workforce development and civil society participation in order for mental health services to be compliant with the CRPD.

It includes examples from countries including Brazil, India, Kenya, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom of community-based mental health services that have demonstrated good practices in respect of non-coercive practices, community inclusion, and respect of people’s legal capacity (i.e. the right to make decisions about their treatment and life).

Services include crisis support, mental health services provided within general hospitals, outreach services, supported living approaches and support provided by peer groups. Information about financing and results of evaluations of the services presented are included. Cost comparisons provided indicate that the community-based services showcased produce good outcomes, are preferred by service users and can be provided at comparable cost to mainstream mental health services.

“Transformation of mental health service provision must, however, be accompanied by significant changes in the social sector,” said Gerard Quinn, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “Until that happens, the discrimination that prevents people with mental health conditions from leading full and productive lives will continue.”

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Urgent need to fight corruption to save the environment; protect whistleblower and spotlights role of civil society – UNGASS 2021
Jun 8 2021
Urgent need to fight corruption to save the environment; protect whistleblower and spotlights role of civil society – UNGASS 2021
Photo: © Lars Plougmann

4 June 2021 – Criminal networks involved in crimes that have an impact on the environment, such as wildlife trafficking, illegal logging and illegal mining, use and rely on corruption at every step of their illegal operations. At an event on the margins of UNGASS 2021 against corruption, experts discussed how corruption systematically manifests itself through these crimes and looked at the tools available to combat corruption in these areas.

“The battle to save the environment cannot be delayed,” said UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer Maria Adomeit and highlighted that “corruption has the potential to undermine every single initiative that we put in place to protect our natural resources and our biodiversity.”

The Preamble of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), acknowledges and expresses concerns about the links between corruption and other forms of crime. The importance of addressing corruption as a key enabler for crimes that have an impact on the environment was further highlighted last year, when the Conference of the States Parties to UNCAC (CoSP) adopted resolution 8/12 with a specific focus on preventing and combating corruption as it relates to such crimes.

UNODC response

To have a sustainable impact in protecting our shared planet, UNODC plays a leading role and has pioneered a series of measures to address corruption linked to wildlife, forest, and fisheries crime (WLFC). These include strengthening financial investigations to identify, investigate, prosecute and deter organized criminal groups involved in these crimes.

“Our goal is to strengthen relevant authorities’ capacities to follow money trails and use financial evidence to  ensure that investigations will lead to prosecutions of the kingpins, rather than small-scale criminals”, Ms. Adomeit said.

UNODC is also facilitating corruption risk assessment and management within wildlife, forest and fisheries management authorities, and conducting research and data analysis for evidence-based policy making, among others.

The event was moderated by Summer Walker, New York Representative, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Speakers included: Sarah Stoner, Director of Intelligence, Wildlife Justice Commission, José Ugaz, Criminal Lawyer, Former Chair, Transparency International, and Vusumzi Pikoli, Board Member, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, African Board.

PROTECTING THOSE WHO SPEAK OUT AGAINST CORRUPTION

Whistleblowers play an essential role in exposing wrongdoings that threaten health, safety, financial integrity, human rights, and the rule of law. Protecting whistleblowers is considered as one of the key elements to detect, investigate and prosecute corruption. Fear from retaliation, however, leads to reluctance to report such events.

To address this problem, countries increasingly are adopting whistleblower protection laws and policies to facilitate reporting and establish mechanisms to effectively protect individuals who report wrongdoings.

To discuss possible ways for strengthening whistleblower protection mechanisms in Africa, UNODC experts and Members of Parliament from Kenya and Ghana gathered for an online event jointly organized by UNODC, the African Young Parliamentarians Network (AYPN), and the Kenya Young Parliamentarian Association (KYPA) on the sidelines of UNGASS 2021 against corruption.

In 2017, only seven out of the 54 African countries had whistleblower protection laws, but “The [recently launched] UNODC Strategic Vision for Africa identifies as its priority investment area the ‘safeguarding people and institutions from corruption and economic crimes,’” said Sylvie Bertrand, Deputy Regional Representative Deputy Regional Representative, OiC, of the UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa opening the event.

“This,” she continued, “calls for African institutions to demonstrate increased integrity and accountability, to have economies that are better protected from illicit financial flows and money laundering and to have illicitly obtained assets recovered and returned.”

UNODC response

“To support countries with their efforts to establish or strengthen reporting and protection mechanisms, UNODC provides technical assistance to countries globally,” said UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer Louise Portas.

Ms. Portas highlighted the role of the Eastern Africa regional platform of UNODC’s fast-tracking UNCAC Implementation project, which “focuses on thematic areas identified as regional priorities by the eight countries it covers in the region. Whistleblower protection”, she said “is on top of the list of priorities. What is more”, she added, “it is the only thematic area that has been identified by all our regional platforms as top priority.”

UNGASS 2021 – Political Declaration

The Political Declaration, adopted by the General Assembly at the opening of UNGASS 2021, contains several provisions highlighting the role of the reporting persons in the detection and fight against corruption. UN Member States and parties to UNCAC are committed to provide a safe and enabling environment to those exposing, reporting and fighting corruption.

Speakers included Hon. Kuria Kimani- Member of Parliament Molo Constituency and Chairperson, AYPN, Hon. Irene Kasalu- Member of Parliament Kitui County and Whistleblower Protection Bill, 2020 Promoter, Hon. Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings- MP Klottey Korle Constituency in the Republic of Ghana.

WORKING TOGETHER KEY TO SUCCESSFULLY FIGHT CORRUPTION

Civil society organizations (CSOs) are increasingly transitioning from an outside voice for change to a partner working with governments and the private sector in preventing and combating corruption.

The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, encourages States Parties to promote the active participation of civil society in the prevention and fight against corruption.

Civil society organizations can be involved in the fight against corruption at all stages. They can be part of the UNCAC peer review process, the so-called Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM), that assists States parties to effectively implement the Convention.

At an UNGASS 2021 event jointly organized by UNODC and the UNCAC Coalition, experts from around the globe looked at best practices and challenges of civil society engagement in UNCAC and discussed the way forward.

“Bringing together government, civil society and the private sector has made a difference in implementing UNCAC,” said Mirella Dummar Frahi, Chief of the UNODC Civil Society Unit, who moderated the event, and added that “This is the only way to successfully fight corruption.”

UNODC response

In cooperation with its partners, such as the UNCAC Coalition, UNODC is delivering trainings to CSOs on UNCAC and its review mechanism and has trained 525 civil society organizations so far.

UNODC also supports CSO engagement in intergovernmental meetings and provides the necessary tools for them to work constructively with their governments and the private sector on UNCAC implementation.

Speakers at the event included Michaela Flenner, Programme Manager South and Southeast Europe, Austrian Development Agency, Mathias Huter, Managing Director, UNCAC Coalition, Slagjana Taseva, Chair, Transparency International Macedonia, North Macedonia, Beauty Narteh, Executive Secretary, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Ghana, Mauricio Alarcón, Executive Director, Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo, Ecuador.

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WHO warns of ‘two-track pandemic’ as cases decline but vaccine inequity persists
Jun 7 2021
WHO warns of ‘two-track pandemic’ as cases decline but vaccine inequity persists
Even though COVID-19 cases and deaths have declined in recent weeks, the world is facing a “two-track pandemic”, the UN’s top health official said on Monday in his ongoing campaign to get more vaccines to developing countries. 
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said unequal distribution of vaccines has allowed the virus to continue spreading, thus increasing odds of a variant emerging that could render these treatments ineffective. 

“Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not just those with the fewest vaccines”, he warned in his latest media briefing from WHO headquarters in Geneva. 

‘A mixed picture’ 

As of Monday, there were more than 173 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including 3.7 million deaths. 

Tedros reported that new cases have dropped for six weeks, and deaths for five weeks.  Despite these “encouraging signs”, he said progress remains “a mixed picture” as last week, deaths rose in Africa, the Americas and the Western Pacific. 

“Increasingly, we see a two-track pandemic: many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while some of those with the highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions”, he told journalists. 

Tedros advised caution in lifting restrictions, given the increased global transmission of variants of concern, as consequences could be disastrous for those not yet inoculated. 

Meanwhile, many countries still lack sufficient vaccines.  So far, nearly 44 per cent of doses have been administered in richer countries. In poorer nations, the figure is just 0.4 per cent. 

The United Nations has been pressing governments to share their excess doses to the global vaccine equity initiative, COVAX. Several countries have pledged donations, which Tedros hoped will soon be fulfilled. 

Appeal to G7 leaders 

The WHO chief recently called for a global push to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of the world’s population by September, and 30 per cent by December. Reaching the September target will require an additional 250 million doses, with 100 million needed in June and July alone. 

With the G7 summit taking place this weekend, Tedros issued an appeal to leaders.  

“These seven nations have the power to meet these targets. I am calling on the G7 not just to commit to sharing doses, but to commit to sharing them in June and July”, he said. 

“I also call on all manufacturers to give COVAX first right of refusal on new volume of vaccines, or to commit 50% of their volumes to COVAX this year.” 

Invest in production 

Tedros also highlighted the importance of investing in vaccine production in low income countries, including for routine immunizations.   

He noted that several nations are making progress in this area, following the launch of an African Union partnership for vaccine manufacturing. 

Relatedly, several companies and countries have expressed interest in participating in a WHO plan to establish a technology transfer hub to facilitate global production of mRNA vaccines. A technical review is underway. 

“The biggest barrier to ending the pandemic remains sharing: of doses, of resources, of technology”, Tedros said.

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