10 December - In a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between UNODC and the African Union, the two organizations agree to "...work towards enhancing the complementarities of their activities, as well as linking to the efforts of the Member States of the AU."
The African Union is the major continental institution in Africa which seeks to foster economic growth, good governance, social development, human resource development, and the alleviation of poverty for the benefit of its member states and their peoples.
The organizations have identified nine key areas for closer collaboration. These are drug demand reduction, drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS in prison-like settings, crime prevention and criminal justice reform, smuggling of small arms, corruption, trafficking in human beings, smuggling of migrants and data collection.
The follow-up mechanism calls on AU member states to "... strengthen their links with the UNODC and offices in the region, in order to ensure technical support for the effective implementation of the Revised AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention."
UNODC has a growing portfolio of activities in Africa. It is helping states like Guinea Bissau to tackle the threat posed by drug trafficking. It is working with a number of African countries, particularly Nigeria, to strengthen anti-corruption measures and recover stolen assets. It is helping states reduce the vulnerability of their people, particularly women and children, to human trafficking. It has issued a study on the smuggling of migrants from Africa to Europe. And it is promoting prison reform, including to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS to people in prison settings.
Full text of the revised African Union plan of action on drug control and crime prevention 2007-2012 (pdf).
Full text of the Follow-up Mechanism (pdf).
