YouSaid · the spoken record

Waly

lines on the record: 78
first: 2020-08-10
most recent: 2023-12-07
sittings or episodes: 9
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“I thank the Security Council for the opportunity to be here today. I would like to echo the words of the Secretary-General and to welcome Ecuador’s initiative and the Council’s decision to prioritize today’s debate on transnational organized crime.”
2023-12-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9497 (2023) · source
“We will also continue to assist the Panel of Experts created under the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022), concerning Haiti, as well as the Council, as requested. The international community must stand with the Haitian people to end the reign of chaos and invest in a more secure Haiti, through urgent assistance to improve the security situation as well as long-term support aimed at establishing strong judicial and rule-of-law capacities. Delivering meaningful improvements in security is necessary to protect the rights of Haiti’s people and to pave the way for a Haitian-led and -owned political process.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“As the Panel of Experts on Haiti recently reported, public and private actors are involved in the distribution and illicit import of weapons for private gain. That has created a cycle of firearms trafficking, gang violence and criminal profit. Haiti needs to strengthen its operational capacity to detect economic crime and trace illicit financial flows and money-laundering schemes, and UNODC has experts in the country working with the Organization of American States to support the competent authorities for that purpose. UNODC is working with the Haitian authorities, and in full coordination with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, to meet needs on the ground.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“We are working with them to establish a joint airport and port control unit, which will bring together officials from customs and police to better understand illicit flows and improve the effectiveness of interdictions. Training begins next month, and equipment is already en route. We are heartened by the commitment of the Haitian border police, port authorities and coast guard, all of whom are working with limited equipment in volatile security conditions. I am hoping that we will be able to inform the Council of progress in our next report in three months. Any measures to control weapons and seize drugs in Haiti must be paired with improved financial transparency and accountability.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“It is similarly important to strengthen the Haitian firearms-control regime and the capacity of criminal justice to enforce it, as well as to empower Haitian institutions to detect, investigate and prosecute firearms trafficking and related offences, including through more direct and effective cooperation with neighbouring countries. Last week, as UNODC has been scaling up its team on the ground, experts from our headquarters and from the region joined the Office’s team in Haiti to support our programming at the Belladère land border and the Port-Au-Prince port and airport. They report excellent cooperation with the Haitian customs, police, airport and port authorities, who have been fully involved in the design of UNODC’s interventions.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“It is important to understand that the demand for firearms in Haiti is linked to the criminal groups’ need to enforce the illicit drug trade, as the country remains a transit destination, primarily for cocaine and cannabis. To take effective action against weapon and ammunitions trafficking in Haiti, it will be essential to enforce tighter controls at borders in Haiti and abroad, drastically improve maritime interdiction mechanisms and enhance capacities to collect, analyse and use data on the seizure of firearms.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“Ultimately, the availability of firearms has left criminal armed groups in Haiti with enormous firepower at their disposal, enabling them to consistently outgun security forces. The number of shootings and kidnappings continues to rise, while almost 200,000 people have been displaced as they flee the violence, exposing them to further risks. Meanwhile, the insecurity is expanding beyond the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince to other areas such as the Artibonite and Centre departments. Using their superior firepower, criminal groups have been expanding their territorial control and targeting critical infrastructure, including seaports, fuel terminals, airports, grain stores, warehouses, customs offices and key roads. That enables them to block critical goods and secure trafficking routes.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“And the fourth is also by land through Cap-Haïtien, where smaller quantities of weapons are hidden in the personal effects of individuals crossing the border by car or on foot. Through those routes, traffickers are taking advantage of the Haitian security sector’s limited capacities, equipment and infrastructure for border and maritime control and surveillance. Furthermore, Haiti’s police are operating in a continued state of emergency and with limited human and technical resources, undermining their ability to manage weapons and ammunition. The involvement of private security companies in filling the security vacuum, and those companies’ reported involvement in illicit firearms flows, further complicates the picture.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“The report presents the results of UNODC’s in-depth analysis of the movement of weapons into and within Haiti, identifying four major sea and land routes for the illicit flows of firearms and ammunition, which come primarily from the United States. The first route is through direct shipment in containers from the United States to Port-au-Prince. The second is from the United States to northern areas of the country, including Port-de-Paix, where arms and ammunition are transported overland to coastal cities in Artibonite, then by small boats or by land to docks controlled by gangs or traffickers, and eventually to Port-au- Prince. The third is by land through the Belladère and Malpasse border crossings, used mainly for trafficking ammunition, primarily via the Dominican Republic.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“Halting the flow of illicit firearms into Haiti and establishing a robust regulatory framework for such weapons are imperative steps if the Haitian authorities are to assert control and re-establish normalcy. Member States should take measures to achieve those aims and to provide relevant support to Haiti alongside the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti, recently approved by the Council through its resolution 2699 (2023), which will be operating in a volatile environment. Pursuant to paragraph 9 of resolution 2692 (2023), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) submitted its latest report to the Council on 17 October, through the Secretary-General, including updates on sources and routes of illicit arms and financial flows in Haiti.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“Ms. Waly: I thank you, Mr. President, for inviting me to address the Security Council regarding the situation in Haiti. At the outset, I would like to welcome the adoption of resolution 2700 (2023), renewing the sanctions regime for Haiti. I also want to praise the remarkable work of Special Representative Salvador and her team in such a sensitive and precarious environment. As the Council has acknowledged, gangs have seized control of areas of territory and some key infrastructure in Haiti and are perpetrating horrific violence, including homicides, kidnapping and sexual and gender-based violence, enabled by sophisticated firearms brought into the country illegally.”
2023-10-23 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9449 (2023) · source
“UNODC is strengthening its support programmes in Haiti in close collaboration with its national, regional and international partners, so that the country can regain the foundations of peace and security necessary for its economic development and the well-being of Haitians.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“In thanking BINUH, I take this opportunity to welcome the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Ms. María Isabel Salvador. I very much look forward to working closely with her, and I assure her that she will have the full support of my Office. (spoke in French) We all know how the political, security, humanitarian and development dimensions are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. To help Haiti build strong security and justice institutions and address the root causes of instability, I would also like to reiterate the importance of financial support commensurate with the challenges.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“It is through these fundamentals that we can protect Haiti’s people from violence in the long term, return normalcy and security to their daily lives, and pave the way for more effective efforts to meet basic human needs. UNODC is encouraged by the establishment of a sanctions regime that will help fight impunity for the crimes committed in Haiti. We support the Panel of Experts appointed by the Security Council and will remain, within mandate and means, at its disposal. We will also continue to collaborate closely with BINUH and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Our cooperation has been key to developing effective interventions on border control, corruption, money-laundering, criminal justice and the rule of law.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“Last month alone, customs revenue collection saw an increase of 44 per cent from the previous month and a 216 per cent increase as compared to March 2022. In addition, our Office has been cooperating with the Organization of American States to strengthen Haiti’s capacity to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate cases of corruption, money-laundering, and economic crimes, as well as to improve information-sharing with international investigators on transnational organized crime. These represent important first steps, but the scale of what is needed in Haiti requires greater international investment and support. Sustained comprehensive assistance is needed, complementing any operation and support provided to Haiti’s police with the long-term vision to restore criminal justice, border control and customs institutions.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“Our Office has successfully carried out assessments of six border points, identifying urgent equipment needs, including to support patrolling and maritime-domain awareness, and now our Office is procuring the equipment to be provided to national authorities. In parallel, we are exploring the potential of greater Haitian/Dominican cooperation on border control to develop mirroring skill sets, vision and commitment. We stand ready to engage with both countries to expand support, but much greater investment is needed. UNODC has also continued to support Haiti’s General Customs Administration, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate its staff members on some of the promising results they have produced.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“Significant investments are also needed for community policing and criminal-justice reforms, as well as combating corruption and money-laundering. Black markets are relying on corruption and patronage networks to thrive, with the complex web of public and private actors implicated in trafficking, while corruption in the criminal-justice sector leads to impunity. The conditions for a political process leading to peace can be achieved only when Haiti has the institutions and capacities capable of meeting these challenges. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime continues to work with its partners to help lay the foundations for the progress that is needed in Haiti. Since I last addressed the Council on this topic, UNODC has been fast-tracking its assistance on border management.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“As illicit drug markets expand around the world and global supply and demand of cocaine reached record highs, the threat of trafficking as a destabilizing factor in Haiti only grows. These realities undermine prospects for the political process, not to mention the catastrophic implications on efforts to address acute hunger and access to essential services. The international community and invested partners need to urgently develop and support large-scale comprehensive actions to assist law enforcement and border management to prevent illicit flows and help stabilize the situation. The Security Council has repeatedly stressed the importance of reinforcing the capacities of the Haitian National Police, including its specialized units focused on borders, drugs and firearms.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“The dire security situation is overwhelming the already limited capacities of Haiti’s national police, customs and border patrols and coast guard. Haiti is leading its security response the best it can, but this comes at great human cost. Homicide rates are skyrocketing, while an increasing number of police officers are being targeted and killed in the line of duty by gangs. Meanwhile, Haiti’s law-enforcement and border- control challenges make it an attractive hub for drug traffickers. Haiti acts as a trans-shipment country for drugs, primarily cocaine and cannabis, which arrive through public, private and informal ports, as well as clandestine runways; these drugs are mostly being shipped onwards to North America and Western Europe.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“Increasingly sophisticated and high-calibre firearms and ammunition are being trafficked into Haiti, with most new firearms and ammunition entering the country illegally by land, air and, most frequently, sea. Severe limitations in maritime control capacities, personnel and equipment, as well as a lack of border surveillance and patrol infrastructure have curtailed efforts to stop the influx, which is enabling gang-related violence to reach unprecedented levels. Heavily armed criminal gangs are targeting such critical infrastructure as ports, grain storage, customs offices, police stations, courthouses, prisons, businesses and neighbourhoods. They have also gained control of major highways and roads, providing access to the capital. Some gangs have expanded their territory outside Port-au-Prince.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“(spoke in English) The latest report of the Secretary-General General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) (S/2023/274) points to an escalation of violence and insecurity in the country, including rising numbers of homicides and kidnappings. The flows of illicit firearms and drugs into Haiti are compounding the situation, fuelling violence and adding complex challenges. Last month, UNODC published an assessment entitled “Haiti’s criminal markets: mapping trends in firearms and drug trafficking”, which we had the honour to present at the first meeting of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022). The assessment paints an alarming picture.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“I am grateful for the opportunity for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to again address the Security Council on the deteriorating security crisis that is paralysing Haiti. Since my last briefing to the Council in September (see S/PV.9136), the lack of law enforcement, escalation of violence and scale of organized criminal activities have continued to fuel the crisis and brought no relief to the Haitian people. On the contrary, these phenomena have progressively contributed to the deepening of the crisis and the weakening of national efforts for peace and security. Even more disturbing, we note new dynamics of groups acting outside of Port-au-Prince directly involved in the trafficking of increasingly sophisticated weapons and seeking to enlist new recruits in camps for displaced populations.”
2023-04-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9311 (2023) · source
“As we look to capitalize on present successes, we must celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Yaoundé Architecture next year by pursuing more ambitious, comprehensive and sustainable responses. In order to do that, we need sufficient funding and sustained political attention, and we will count on the help and commitment of the Security Council in that regard. I would also like to join Ms. Pobee in calling for addressing the challenges she mentioned in her briefing. UNODC will continue to work with Member States in the Gulf of Guinea, as well as with the Gulf of Guinea Commission, the Economic Community of Central African States, ECOWAS and our partners across the United Nations, for safer waters and safer shores.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“Criminals at sea must be stopped and held accountable, but in order to ensure a truly sustainable response, due attention must be paid to the people who may become such criminals, along with the factors that drive them to it and the people most affected. We must pursue community-based crime-prevention strategies and engage with at-risk and marginalized young people to help them cultivate personal and social skills, prevent risky behaviours and grant them opportunities. UNODC is supporting the development of community-based crime-prevention strategies in the Niger delta region of Nigeria, an approach we hope to replicate in other coastal communities.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“UNODC is supporting coastal countries in strengthening criminal justice systems and law-enforcement cooperation and improving prevention measures. Thirdly, and crucially, we need to address the root causes of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea by working with communities and creating better living conditions. Coastal communities in the region are the most vulnerable to the impact of piracy and maritime crime, and they also face the difficult conditions that drive those illicit activities, such as poverty and youth unemployment. Environmental degradation and biodiversity loss are further affecting lives and livelihoods, fuelled by climate change and made worse by illegal fishing.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“A useful example to consider is the Agreement concerning Cooperation in Suppressing Illicit Maritime and Air Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in the Caribbean Area, the Treaty of San José, applicable in the Caribbean basin. There is also a growing spillover of terrorism from the Sahel into the Gulf of Guinea, as evidenced by the rising number of terrorist attacks, particularly in Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire. While there is no concrete evidence to suggest links between terrorists in the Sahel and pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, we must remain vigilant against the possibility of terrorist groups linking up with criminal enterprises at the coast and undermining security gains in the region.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“New UNODC research suggests that pirate groups in the Gulf of Guinea may be moving instead into more lucrative maritime crimes, such as oil bunkering, theft and smuggling. Law enforcement in the region needs support against a wide range of illicit maritime activities and related crimes. They include various forms of trafficking and illegal oil refining, as well as illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing. We must prevent the threat from simply taking a different form. In order to close down options for criminals at sea, we suggest considering the possibility of developing a regional framework to expand cooperation against illicit maritime activities.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was proud to support both of those groundbreaking achievements. We continue to assist countries in the region with legal reforms aimed at enabling them to prosecute piracy, including Gabon, where the adoption of a revised penal code is planned for next month. UNODC is also training naval law enforcement across the region, helping maritime agencies improve cooperation and providing technical assistance to the key institutions of the Yaoundé Architecture. Secondly, we must be agile and adaptable in responding to shifting trends and emerging threats related to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. The criminal profits gained from kidnapping-for-ransom piracy remain limited compared to other organized crimes, with about $4 million paid annually in ransom in order to get abducted seafarers released.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“At the same time, it will be vital to continue building detection and interdiction capacities for law enforcement. That includes training in visit, board, search and seizure procedures, as well as improved maritime domain awareness, and technical and logistical support to facilitate joint maritime patrols. And pirates must be held accountable at the end of that process. We must improve investigation and prosecution capacities in order to give enforcement efforts teeth and reach a legal completion for every case pursued. The milestone convictions achieved last year in Nigeria and Togo prove that it is possible, and the adoption this year of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Supplementary Act, on the handover of piracy suspects, is an important landmark that will pave the way for more prosecutions.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“We need instead to capitalize on the momentum and create a sustainable framework to protect the Gulf of Guinea from pirate groups and any criminal activity they may engage in. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Yaoundé Architecture next year, there is a real chance to dedicate more attention, resources and action in support of maritime security and the rule of law in the Gulf of Guinea. First, we need to help Member States in the region to continue developing their capacities and legal frameworks for combating piracy. Domestic laws must criminalize piracy and enable its prosecution in every country in the Gulf of Guinea. We should help them enact such legislation and address the significant legislative gaps that remain in many countries.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“The substantial decrease this year in piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, and in victims of such incidents, particularly of kidnappings for ransom, is a welcome result of many years of work, including in the context of the Yaoundé Architecture for maritime security, as the speaker before me described. At sea, there are more naval patrols and stronger cooperation between regional navies, backed by navies from outside the region that have deployed assets, creating a more secure maritime environment. On land, a greater focus on criminal justice has resulted in stronger measures, including the first-ever piracy convictions in the region, in Togo and Nigeria. However, it is too soon to declare victory.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“Ms. Waly: I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to brief the Security Council today. I would like to begin by commending the Council for adopting resolution 2634 (2022) in May and for its continued attention to the threat posed by piracy and organized crime at sea, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea. That attention and action have come at the right time. The threat of piracy costs the region lives, stability and more than $1.9 billion in financial losses every year. The report of the Secretary-General (S/2022/818) being presented today represents a moment of opportunity in our fight against that threat.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9198 (2022) · source
“In partnership with UNESCO, we are empowering youth to become weavers of peace in the cross-border regions of Gabon, Cameroon and Chad. The aim is to create a network of 1,800 young weavers of peace, to enable them to become actors in conflict prevention and peacebuilding in cross-border regions and identify alternative livelihoods for cross- border communities. UNODC remains fully engaged in supporting Africa’s fight against the criminal trade in wildlife and natural resources. I welcome the attention of the Council to the growing concerns that those illicit revenues are financing terrorist activities and armed groups. We stand ready to assist the people of Africa in their right to peace, stability, justice and prosperity, today and for future generations, leaving no money for terrorists and leaving no one behind.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“The focus is to increase the prevention, investigations and prosecutions of trafficking in those natural resources. In Africa, conflict zones are disproportionately affected by illegal mining and trafficking in precious metals. Mineral supply chains are often linked to child abuse, human trafficking, forced labour and other human rights violations. With 60 per cent of Africa’s population under 25 years of age, young people are both the future of the continent and its most vulnerable citizens. But we also know that, when empowered, young people are powerful agents of change. They can create a better future, advocate on behalf of themselves and their communities and protect their natural resources. I am especially proud of the UNODC youth-driven peacebuilding project.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“In a similar vein, our environment team runs specialized workshops and training for magistrates, law enforcement officers and wildlife forensic experts engaged in the fight against environmental crime to promote a coordinated and holistic response. In the Central African region, we are also rolling out a European Union-funded €6 million project on wildlife trafficking and the illegal exploitation of natural resources to support the Economic Community of Central African States. It promotes improved national and regional cooperation and response to wildlife and timber trafficking and a better understanding of illegal mining and trafficking in precious metals. UNODC wildlife and timber trafficking programmes address the cross-border theft of natural resources.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“This year, six nationals operating in the gold sector were designated under resolution 1373 (2001) to prevent the financing of terrorist acts. We also work to strengthen inter-agency coordination among intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence units and prosecutors and to promote the financial investigation of natural resources and wildlife trafficking. We build partnerships between the private sector, including the companies involved in mineral supply chains, and public and civil society stakeholders, and help to improve understanding of national and cross-border illicit financial flows related to mineral crimes.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“As part of the efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel, we are currently organizing training workshops with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute to strengthen the understanding and skills of criminal justice officials to work across agencies, share intelligence and information and bring down terrorist networks and those who fund them. UNODC also supports 10 Member States across sub-Saharan Africa in improving their frameworks to counter terrorist financing and money laundering, including in the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Niger and Somalia. Under our West Africa counter-terrorism financing initiative, we support countries in implementing national asset-freezing mechanisms. That has already led to the first designations on a national sanctions list.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“It is clear that there can be no sustainable development without peace and stability, and there will be no peace and security without sustainable development. Our work goes far beyond border seizures. UNODC is the guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime — the main international instrument in the fight against such crimes. We support member countries in putting in place the policies, legislation and operational responses required to better address terrorist threats. We also work closely with our African counterparts to strengthen their capacity to investigate and prosecute crimes that affect the environment. In 2021 alone, we implemented 25 counter- terrorism projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 160 activities delivered, and trained 2,500 people.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“The illegal trade in ivory alone generates $400 million in illicit income each year. With Africa’s population of approximately 1.3 billion, almost 500 million Africans lived in extreme poverty last year. Such criminal exploitation strips the people of Africa of a significant source of revenue. It robs the millions of people who depend on those natural resources for their livelihoods, and it fuels conflicts and exacerbates instability. The climate emergency and the coronavirus disease pandemic have wreaked havoc on already fragile economies. The illicit trafficking of natural resources further jeopardizes development and winds back progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and it severely undermines Agenda 2063.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“From 2019 to 2021, UNODC conducted research into the illicit trafficking of minerals into bordering areas of Gabon, Cameroon and Congo, known as the Tri- National Dja-Odzala-Minkébé area, Chad and the Central African Republic as a source of funding for terrorist groups in the region. Based on the outcomes of that research, we established that illegally mined gold and other precious metals are being fed into the legitimate market, providing huge profits for traffickers. In late 2020, UNODC and INTERPOL coordinated a firearms operation, which seized 40,000 sticks of dynamite and detonator cords. They were intended for illegal gold mining by armed terrorist groups in the Sahel. Wildlife trafficking has also been reported as a possible source of funding for armed groups.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“Such sources of income, also obtained through extortion and the illegal imposition of taxes on the population, allow those groups to acquire arms and other commodities to maintain their hold on territory and conflict zones. Strategic and lucrative access to trafficking routes is also a factor of power among armed groups. (spoke in English) The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) works with Member States to prevent and respond to crimes that threaten the environment, including wildlife, forest and fisheries crimes, illegal mining and trafficking in precious metals and waste.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“The Security Council has repeatedly expressed its concern about the scourge of terrorism and the activities of armed groups and criminal networks, which destabilize Africa and profit from the continent’s natural resources. It is essential to better understand the links between organized crime and terrorism in Africa through rigorous data and evidence collection and the development of appropriate programmes and policies. There is evidence that the illegal exploitation of minerals, such as gold, silver and diamonds, provides armed groups, rebel groups and terrorists with significant sources of revenue. The proceeds of such trafficking can also benefit armed groups that control the mining areas or trafficking routes.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Security Council. I would like to thank the Gabonese presidency for its invitation and to commend its commitment to the fight against poaching and the trafficking in natural resources and to protecting the environment. I also thank Gabon for being one of the first countries in Africa to promote carbon trading. The threat of terrorism and organized crime is taking hold in Africa. Last year, there were 3,500 victims of terrorist acts in sub-Saharan Africa, which is almost half of the victims worldwide. The Sahel in particular is under assault from some of the world’s most active and deadly terrorist groups, both in terms of attacks and recruitment strategy.”
2022-10-06 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9147 (2022) · source
“We are providing health services to address drug use as well as diagnostic kits for HIV and hepatitis, and we have launched an initiative to map treatment facilities and identify the factors facing high-risk drug users. UNODC is also supporting alternative livelihoods for opium-poppy farmers in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, which account for 72 per cent of the cultivation of opium. That has included income-generation and food-security support to more than 1,000 female-headed households at a time when Afghan women are being deprived of their rights, opportunities and livelihoods. Afghanistan is at a sensitive juncture. The international community needs to be ready to respond to the drug challenges and illicit flows emanating from Afghanistan, while extending as much help as possible to those affected by illicit drugs inside the country.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In countries that are neighbours of Afghanistan, we are bolstering the capacities of border liaison offices and port-control and air cargo-control units, as well as supporting practical measures to counter illicit firearms trafficking. Meanwhile, we are assisting with the procurement of specialized law-enforcement equipment and promoting regional and interregional cross-border cooperation and information exchange. Interventions inside Afghanistan are also necessary to help Afghans at risk and in need to the extent that the circumstances allow. In support of the United Nations Transitional Engagement Framework for Afghanistan, UNODC is jointly working with United Nations partners on health interventions related to the use of illicit drugs in the south, north and central regions.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“In the absence of the rule of law, terrorists and organized criminal groups can profit from illicit drugs and other forms of trafficking such as firearms, while the desperate conditions in the country are conducive to the trafficking and exploitation of human beings. We must prevent such threats from destabilizing the region and beyond by monitoring the situation, improving regional capacities and helping people. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is conducting its Afghanistan opium-cultivation surveys remotely, and in a week we will be publishing estimates of how much heroin was produced from the most recent harvest. We are also tracking seizure data in the region through our drug-monitoring platform, and we will be tracking human trafficking and migrant smuggling flows as well.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“For many, illicit cultivation may seem the only alternative to starvation. In the next few months we will see how the narcotics ban and its consequences truly unfold as farmers in Afghanistan make decisions on opium-poppy cultivation for the next major harvest in dire economic and political circumstances. At the same time, it remains unclear to what extent the ban can or will be enforced by the de facto authorities, considering the economic and political realities in Afghanistan and the presence of at least a dozen armed groups challenging the authorities’ rule across 18 provinces, as identified by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“Only international action can address those threats to peace and security and support the Afghan people. (spoke in English) In April of this year, the Taliban de facto authorities announced a complete ban on the cultivation and production of all narcotics, while granting a grace period that practically exempted the most recent major opium-poppy harvest, which ended in July. Following the announcement of the narcotics ban, the national average price of opium skyrocketed, reaching $190 per kilogram of dry opium and $127 per kilogram of fresh opium in July — more than double the price of a year ago. Meanwhile, severe droughts have destroyed food harvests at a time when the Afghan economy is collapsing. More than half the population is living below the poverty line, and close to 19 million people are facing acute food insecurity.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“I would like to thank the French presidency of the Security Council for the opportunity to address the Council again today. When I last briefed the Council on the situation in Afghanistan in June 2021 (see S/2021/601, annex II), illicit drug production there had reached a record high of 6,800 tons of opium poppy, and I highlighted an alarming increase in methamphetamine production. The figures for seizures show an increase in trafficking of both heroin and methamphetamines in South Asia and Africa from 2018 to 2021. Heroin seizures at sea in the Indian Ocean have increased since 2021. The events of the past year have led to a situation that is more uncertain than ever, especially with regard to the possible long-term effects on cultivation, production and trafficking in a country that remains the world’s largest producer of opiates.”
2022-09-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9137 (2022) · source
“We are planning various activities in those areas, including mitigating corruption risks in border management and ensuring the availability of technical expertise to track illicit financial flows with the support of BINUH, United Nations sister agencies and other relevant organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, INTERPOL and the Organization of American States. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for the leadership of Special Representative La Lime and the work of her BINUH team amid this crisis, including in hosting our staff in Haiti and supporting our efforts in the country. Working with BINUH and all our partners, UNODC stands ready to continue and expand its interventions in Haiti to contribute to a more stable foundation for peace and security in the country.”
2022-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9136 (2022) · source