NCJ Number
222595
Date Published
2008
Length
58 pages
Annotation
This report presents an overview of activities and accomplishments for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime occurring in 2007.
Abstract
Highlights from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report for 2007 include: (1) containing the world drug problem with drug control effectively reversing a quarter-century long rise in drug abuse and heading off a global pandemic; (2) in tackling human trafficking, the UNODC is spearheading the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN-GIFT) with partners in the United Nations system and beyond; (3) in 2007, the UNODC rang a warning bell and is mobilizing international assistance to help prevent a crisis with the onslaught of cocaine in the nations of West Africa; (4) two reports examined the situation in Central America and the Caribbean where drug trafficking is fueling violent crime and posing a serious threat to economic development and called for an effective operational response; (5) the Stolen Asset Recovery (STAR) initiative was launched in 2007 and designed to help countries recover stolen assets (absconded with by corrupt leaders) and help eliminate impediments to returning these assets; (6) under the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the UNODC lends its expertise in the ratification and implementation of international legal treaties and related domestic legislation; (7) the UNODC set out a blueprint for action in its Strategy for the period of 2008-2011 to respond more effectively to the global threats of drugs and crime; and (8) UNODC is strengthening partnerships to pool expertise and leverage resources. Drugs, crime, and terrorism remain three of the greatest threats to the peace, security, and well being of humanity. Growing confidence in the ability of UNODC to help states confront these challenges was reflected in a healthy increase in voluntary contributions in 2007. The work carried out by UNODC in 2007 reaffirmed the merits of the Office’s three-pronged approach: research, strong legal framework, and operational response.