UNODC Brazil concluded a cycle of trainings on human trafficking for social workers and health agents in the state of Roraima

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UNODC holds First Meeting of the Interinstitutional Working Group on Surveillance for Indigenous Territorial Protection

With the presence of federal institutions, indigenous organizations, UN agencies and civil society representatives, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil organized and hosted the first meeting of the Interinstitutional Working Group on Surveillance for Indigenous Territorial Protection (WG) on 2 May 2024.

Held within the framework of the SAR-TI project - Strengthening Early Warning Systems and Responses to Environmental Crimes related to Illegal Gold Mining in Indigenous Territories, launched by UNODC in February 2024, the meeting discussed criteria for evaluating official and community-based territorial surveillance systems, mapped competencies of the institutions present and discussed impact indicators and response flows to different crimes – including those related to illegal mining – in indigenous territories.

The Interinstitutional Working Group on Surveillance for Indigenous Territorial Protection comprises over 15 institutions and aims to gather information that supports the development of effective policies for indigenous territorial protection, as well as to improve the prevention and control of impacts caused by environmental crimes and other crimes in indigenous territories.

The event featured also the participation of observer organizations, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS).

The inputs used by the WG are based on the SAR-TI launch event, which included presentations of territorial surveillance initiatives by the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY), the Indigenous Council of Roraima (CIR), the Raoni Institute, COIAB and IPAM.

 

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UNODC Brazil receives the President of the National Foundation for Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) to discuss prevention of environmental crimes in indigenous territories

On May 03, 2024, UNODC Brazil received the National Foundation of Indigenous Peoples (FUNAI) at its premises in Brasília for a meeting to discuss strategies to prevent environmental crimes related to illegal mining in indigenous territories, in addition to mapping possibilities for cooperation between the two institutions. Ms. Joenia Wapichana, President of FUNAI, Ms. Maria Janete, Director of Territorial Protection, and a cadre of over fifteen managers and technicians from the institution were present.

The basis for the discussions was a technical report prepared by UNODC that brings findings and recommendations on the subject, divided into four strategic areas: intelligence and inter-institutional cooperation; strengthening of control bodies; regulation of the gold trading chain; and enticement and coercion of indigenous people by organized crime.

At the opening of the meeting, the Director of UNODC Brazil, Ms. Elena Abbati, gave an overview of the Office's performance in responding to environmental crimes and highlighted the intention to strengthen the partnership with FUNAI. "We believe that this collaboration will be key to preventing and combating organized crime, illicit trafficking, and threats related to alcohol and drug use that affect indigenous territories, especially in the northern region of Brazil."

The President of FUNAI, Ms. Joenia Wapichana, drew attention to the mercury contamination faced by indigenous peoples as a result of the advances of illegal mining and highlighted the importance of partnerships and research to support the planning of their institutional actions. "We don't do anything alone. It is necessary to have collective action, for a responsibility that is also collective, which is the life of indigenous peoples."

After the presentation, the participants were able to discuss and complement the recommendations brought by the report. As a follow-up, UNODC and FUNAI will continue to meet in order to advance the discussion on possibilities for technical assistance and joint work to strengthen the agency's capacities.

 

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Mining Stories: Lives marked by the search for gold on the Tapajós River

In the heart of the Amazon, the Tapajós River bears witness to stories of miners, both men and women, subjected to dangerous and precarious conditions. The Tapajós Project seeks to address this problem and further improve conditions in the region.

The Tapajós River runs 840 kilometers through the Amazon Basin, running through indigenous territories, national parks, impoverished towns, and many of Brazil's small-scale gold mining sites – or garimpos, in Portuguese. In this environment, where gold mining is generally illegal, miners, both men and women, are subjected to precarious and dangerous working conditions. About 40 percent of all miners in the region may be victims of human trafficking for forced labor, according to a pioneering cutting-edge study conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Brazil.

Little gold, too much work

Francisco, aged 57, developed an interest in mining through the captivating tales shared by friends. Entranced by their narratives, he presumed that gold mining would serve as a pathway to bring him the resources needed to acquire a sound equipment he wished for, upon his return to Maranhão, his home state.

However, 34 years have passed, and Francisco has not communicated with his family since. "I got into mining and thought it was a game where men walked around the caves, removing the mud and finding gold," he says. "It's different from what I thought."

Tapajós Project

The Tapajós Project aims to determine the prevalence and causes of human trafficking for forced labor in the gold mining sector in the Tapajós basin of Pará, as well as to implement evidence-based interventions to reduce and prevent this crime in the region.

Access to full article on: https://www.unodc.org/lpo-brazil/pt/frontpage/2024/05/historias-do-garimpo-vidas-marcadas-pela-busca-do-ouro-no-rio-tapajos.html