UNODC has spearheaded RiseUp4Peace educational initiative, in collaboration with the Kamla Nehru Public School Phagwara (KNPS) and educator partners, to strengthen education on peace, integrity, and the rule of law. In this direction, a series of interactive capacity building dialogues were held with over 1,056 educators and students from India and other countries, as part of RiseUp4Peace. The trainings enhanced participants’ understanding and knowledge on SDG 16-related themes and the importance of youth action, good practices in spearheading school-led initiatives, and practical ways for teachers to engage students on themes related to rule of law and ethical behaviours in the classrooms, using group activities as well as tech tools. 80 postgraduate students of the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi were also equipped with skills in advocacy and communications to amplify social awareness and action on SDGs, crime prevention, and the rule of law. Join the initiative here: t.ly/lh9T7
67 officials from government and civil society exchanged insights to refine and strengthen the online data collection system and reporting format on Trafficking in Persons, at a workshop held in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), under the framework of the UNODC Global Action against Trafficking in Persons (GLO.ACT). UNODC is assisting MoHA in developing an online data collection system and report format for the Annual Country Report on Trafficking in Persons. This aligns with the recommendation of the first National Study on TIP by UNODC and the Government of Bangladesh, which aimed to build an evidence base on TIP patterns and trends.
India: UNODC training boosts law enforcement capacities on open source investigations to counter wildlife crime
UNODC, as a part of the South Asia activities under the Global Programme on Crimes that Affect the Environment (GPCAE), conducted an advanced level training on ‘Open Source Investigations of Online Wildlife Crime’ for 28 officials from the wildlife and forest departments of Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Held in a training of trainers format, the initiative enhanced capacities of officials on enhancing investigations and subsequent prosecutions of wildlife crime and trafficking. The training comprehensively covered a wide range of topics, including online safety during investigations, web information retrieval and image analysis, among others.
(Supported by the
US Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs)
UNODC enhanced knowledge and applied skills of over 44 senior officers from Bangladesh Police including counter-terrorism officers from districts, ATU, range police and metropolitan police--with two trainings on countering violent extremism and building trust and legitimacy in Rajshahi and Cox’s Bazar. The training covered two modules, focused on building police legitimacy and trust and providing a nuanced understanding of the evolving threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism. Experts shared international good practices to strengthen trust in all dimensions of policing through fostering an ethical climate, pro-moting procedurally just policing and optimising communication to promote transparency and trust. The training also supported participants in the development of a tailored action plan to implement trust-building concepts and strategies in their daily work.
South Asia: UNODC empowers wildlife guardians in India and Nepal with tech tools
With support of the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, a set of tech tools—laptops, smartscreens and hard disks—were provided to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Government of India under ongoing efforts to strengthen capacities against wildlife crime. UNODC Regional Representative for South Asia, Mr. Marco Teixeira handed over the tools to WCCB Additional Director Mr. HV Girisha. UNODC also provided equipment for smart patrolling and investigations to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Government of Nepal. The equipment, including android mobile phone for SMART patrolling, drones, portable tents, DSLR cameras, water resistant flash-lights and mini camera were handed over to DNPWC Director General Dr. SP Dhungana.
(Supported by the
US Bureau of International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement Affairs)
A workshop on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters was organized by UNODC under the GLO.ACT framework to increase awareness on inter-national cooperation and the recently adopted ‘Implementation Guideline for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters’ among 36 senior officials from key ministries and law enforcement agencies. Discussions focused on the importance of utilizing mutual legal assistance mechanisms for conducting transnational investigations, delving into the underlying legal foundations and the practical applications of the recently adopted implementation guideline. Serving as a platform of knowledge sharing and collaboration, the workshop empowered participating officials to return to their roles with newfound knowledge and strategies to counter transnational crimes like trafficking in persons.
UNODC provided knowledge support on reducing female prison population and enhancing gender-responsive imprisonment at the Asia and Pacific Regional Consultative Meeting hosted in collaboration with the Thailand Institute of Justice. Over 50 participants from different countries participated to advance the application of Bangkok Rules.
Over 100 young people and educators were engaged in an interactive students-led capacity building dialogue on building peaceful, resilient and just societies, as part of a series of virtual workshops convened by Globally Empowered. Discussions focused on practical ways to meaningfully engage young people with educational interventions and social projects on SDG 16.
30 senior border officers from Sri Lanka Department of Immigration and Emigration were trained on detection and management of human trafficking/smuggling at airports. With expert dialogues and hands-on exercises focusing on national and international legal frameworks and current strategic challenges like cybercrime, officers were equipped with knowledge and skills to tackle these challenges effectively.
Join the UNODC Network in South Asia
Our Partners
Our activities in South Asia are possible
due to the generous support of:
Canada
European Union
Germany
India
Japan
Joint UN Program Fund
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States of America
UBRAF/UNAIDS
UN Secretary General's Peace Building Fund
UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund
Government Partners:
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
Call for Partnerships:
Impacting Lives with Innovation
Advancing Crime Prevention, Justice and Health in South AsiaUNODC Regional Office for South Asia has developed a wide range of projects and initiatives on the following thematic areas:
-Building law enforcement capacities against drugs and organised crime
-Addressing drug use and HIV/AIDS -Enhancing multi-stakeholder responses to counter Trafficking in Persons -Engaging young people and educators on crime prevention, integrity, Global Goals and peace with educational interventions
-Promoting family skills to reduce risky behaviours among young people -Countering corruption -Addressing Gender-based Violence
-Strengthening responses to prevent and counter wildlife crime
-Countering cybercrime and promoting online safety
We seek activesupport to enable the implementation of these programs and to scale-up efforts to promote security, justice and health among vulnerable groups in South Asia. Our partnerships aim at building national and regional alliances on our mandates, which are closely linked to national, regional and global priorities as well as the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Let's join hands to enable and aid large-scale and impactful initiatives that help people lead safer and healthier lives . Your support can make all the difference!
To know more, please contact:
Mr. Samarth Pathak
Communications Officer
UNODC Regional Office for South Asia
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org Cellphone: +91-9811347927
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) assists Member States in their efforts to combat illicit drugs and international crime. Over the past two decades, the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia(ROSA) has been working with governments and civil society in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, providing specialized assistance to address challenges pertaining to drugs, organised crime, security, justice and health. The commitment to Sustainable Development Goals, human rights and the rule of law is at the core of our mandate.
Contact Us
C-97 (Ground Floor), Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024, India
Email: samarth.pathak@un.org
