24 November 2014 - High Level Interactive Launch of the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the Group of Friends United Against Human Trafficking held a "High Level Interactive Launch of the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons," pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 64/293 of 2010 requesting UNODC to prepare a biennial report on patterns and flows of trafficking in persons. Speakers included: Simone Monasebian, Director UN Office on Drugs and Crime; NY Office, H.E. Andrei Dapkiunas, Permanent Representative of Belarus and Coordinator of the Group of Friends United Against Human Trafficking; H.E. Libran N. Cabactulan, Permanent Representative of Philippines; Rani Hong, Trafficking Survivor /Founder Tronie Foundation; Alyse Nelson, President/CEO Vital Voices Global Partnership; Sir Paul Sorvino, acclaimed film, television, theater actor/humanitarian ("Goodfellas", "Nixon", "Law and Order", "Dick Tracy", "That Championship Season"); Kay Buck, Executive Director Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.
Cognizant of the importance of international community commitments to prevent and combat trafficking in persons and protect its victims, especially those most vulnerable - women and children, the 2014 Report sheds light on national, regional and international specifics that must be taken into account if responses to this heinous crime are are to be tailored and effective.
9 June 2014 - High-Level Special Side Event on "The Rule of Law, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the UN Development Agenda Beyond 2015: Engendering a Human Rights for all approach"
The Permanent Missions of Italy, Qatar, Thailand and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) organized a High-Level Special Side Event on "The Rule of Law, Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the UN Development Agenda Beyond 2015: Engendering a Human Rights for all approach, on the margins of the UN General Assembly High-Level Event on the "Contributions of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in the post ‐ 2015 Development Agenda". The High-Level Special Side Event featured H.E . Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, H .E. Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, H.E. Ms. Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the UN, H .R.H. Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN in Vienna, H.E. Mr. Sebastiano Cardi, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN, H.E. Mr. Ivan Simonovic, UN Assistant Secretary General, Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights and Ms. Simone Monasebian, Director, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, New York Office.
22 May 2014 - High-Level Donor Conference to Support Transnational Crime Units under the West Africa Coast Initiative
Executive Director Yury Fedotov of UNODC speaks at the High-Level Donor Conference to Support Transnational Crime Units under the West Africa Coast Initiative (WACI) at UN Headquarters in New York. The Conference was organized jointly by UNODC, UNOWA/DPA, DPKO and INTERPOL and also featured the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Office in West Africa, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender, the DPKO Police Adviser, the Chair of the TOCU Management Board in Sierra Leone and live interventions via video-link from the Ministers of Interior/Security and Ministers of Justice from Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The meeting was well attended by Member State representatives, the media and ECOSOC-accredited NGOs. Mr. Fedotov highlighted the complex and inter-linked challenges that face West Africa and explained why the region remains vulnerable to transnational organized crime and drugs. He indicated how the work of the WACI regional programme, particularly the Transnational Organized Crime Units, can assist in preventing and addressing these challenges and called on Member States to support the WACI Partners with generous support so that challenges of drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism can be addressed effectively and without delay.
25 April 2013 - High-Level Open Briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on Security of Traveller Identification and Traveller Documents in Preventing Terrorism
Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, addresses the High-Level Open Briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on Security of Traveller Identification and Traveller Documents in Preventing Terrorism for UN Member States. The event, held at UN Headquarters, was organized by the UN Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate and included the Deputy Secretary-General, CTC Chair H.E. Ms. Raimonda Murmokaité, the Secretary-General of INTERPOL, the Secretary-General of ICAO and the CTED Executive Director. Mr. Fedotov briefed Member States on recent developments in the work of UNODC on preventing and combating terrorism and discussed cooperation between UNODC and the CTC and its Executive Directorate. This included ten years of providing technical assistance in strengthening criminal justice system capacity, prevention and combatting terrorism to Member States. Mr. Fedotov noted that the nature of terrorism is increasingly complex which triggers specialized responses from UNODC.. Webcast
24 April 2014 - "Strengthening national institutions towards achieving sustainable development"
Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, moderates a panel discussion on "Strengthening national institutions towards achieving sustainable development" as part of the General Assembly Thematic Debate on "Ensuring Stable and Peaceful Societies". The thematic debate was opened by the President of the General Assembly (PGA) and the Secretary-General; other speakers included Ecuador's Minister of National Defence of Ecuador; the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Services; the UN Assistant Secretary-General for United Nations Civilian Capacities and speakers from the National Peace Campaign and FemLINKPACIFIC. Member States and other speakers agreed that development and peace are interlinked and that there is an urgent need to address the root causes of instability, including inequality, poverty, and social injustice. Other challenges included lack of education and jobs, cybercrime, a feeling of insecurity, transnational organized crime, drugs, human trafficking and the trafficking and proliferation of arms. Webcast, PGA website for the debate
9 April 2014 - "Combatting Slavery in the 21 st Century"
Warda Henning of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime speaks at a forum on "Combatting Slavery in the 21 st Century" held at UN Headquarters. The forum was organized by the Government Law Center of Albany Law School, the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Humanity United and the UN. Other speakers included Professor Rhacel Salazar Parrenas of the University of Southern California, Professors Paul Finkelman, Anthony Farley and Melissa Berger of Albany Law School, Andrea Cristina Mercado of National Domestic Workers Alliance and Kevin Ryan of Covenant House International. Ms. Henning shared recent trafficking causes and trends; highlighted the impact of the crime on communities worldwide and identified what the academic community and civil society at large could do to support Member States as they work to prevention trafficking in persons in the United States and abroad. The forum was simulcast live to universities and high schools throughout the world. Webcast
7 April 2014 - Launch of UNODC Regional Programme in support of the CARICOM
Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, speaks at the launch of the UNODC Regional Programme in support of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Crime and Security Strategy at UN Headquarters in New York. Other speakers included the President of the General Assembly's Deputy Chief of Staff, the Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, the CARICOM Chair and Permanent Representative of Suriname to the UN, the EU Representative to the UN, the Barbados Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs and UNODC's Regional representative for Central America and the Caribbean. Mr. Fedotov stated that the nexus between transnational organized crime activities such as cocaine trafficking and illegal guns; gangs; cyber-crime; financial crime and corruption has been identified in the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy as an immediate and significant threat. He noted that the Caribbean's geographical position provided the underpinning for some of the region's challenges due to its location between major drug-producing countries in the south and major consumer markets in the north. For this reason, he said, the Caribbean remained extremely vulnerable to the threats posed by illicit trafficking and organized crime. More information about the event and the Caribbean Programme is available here: Caribbean Programme
18 March 2014 - "Post-2015 Development Agenda and Combating the Root Cause of Trafficking in Persons"
Simone Monasebian, Director of the UNODC New York Office addresses a high-level discussion at UN Headquarters on "the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Combatting the Root Causes of Trafficking in Persons" organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ms. Monasebian spoke alongside Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons; Jessica Neuwirth, co-founder of Equality Now, Dr. Jayne Huckerby, professor from Duke University School of Law and Dr. Melissa Ditmore of Sex Workers Projects. Ms. Monasebian shared UNODC's experience in combating the root causes of human trafficking worldwide; the work of NGOs funded by the Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking; and UNODC's support to the UN post-2015 development agenda discussions to ensure that trafficking in persons remains high on the development agenda as 2015 approaches.
3 March 2014
Simone Monasebian, Director of the UNODC New York Office, speaks at the first commemoration of World Wildlife Day at UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting was convened by the Permanent Missions to the UN of Germany and Thailand and was themed " Wildlife and its contribution to Sustainable Development ". Other speakers included Germany's Minister of State at the German Federal Foreign Office, the Permanent Representative of Thailand to the UN and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. Ms. Monasebian highlighted the importance of the December 2013 General Assembly decision that endorsed 3 March as World Wildlife Day everywhere. She shared insights on the main challenges faced by Member States and entire regions as a result of wildlife trafficking and poaching and assured Member States that they could continue to count on UNODC in its efforts to prevent and fight wildlife trafficking.