Crime

The local de facto authorities in Yemen have officially communicated to the United Nations their approval for a UN-led technical assessment and repair mission on board the oil tanker Safer off the coast of Ras Isa.  The experts will advise on any remaining measures that would be needed to avoid a catastrophic oil spill.

Wildlife crime threatens both biodiversity and human health, according to a new United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report.  It finds that many illegally trafficked animals may spread diseases to people, and the pangolin — a possible source of COVID-19 — remains the most trafficked mammal in the world.

In June, 921,000 people were forced to leave Burkina Faso, making it the site of one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises.  Increased insecurity has also made humanitarian access more difficult, with the number of people in need of assistance jumping to 2.9 million people, from 2.2 million in January.

In Kenya, the World Food Programme (WFP) has launched cash transfers and nutrition support for nearly 280,000 people struggling to survive from the impact of the virus on informal settlements in Nairobi.

Ahead of Mother’s Day — observed in May in nearly 130 countries — the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting ways that COVID-19 has recast motherhood and overwhelmed health facilities.  It is calling on Governments to help pregnant women receive check-ups and delivery care.

Anti-coronavirus measures are exposing victims of human trafficking to further exploitation and limiting their access to essential services, a new analysis released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said today, noting also the emergence of new opportunities for organized crime to profit from the crisis.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Antonia Marie De Meo of the United States as Director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt as the next Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  Ms. Waly will also serve as Director‑General of the United Nations Office at Vienna.  She succeeds Yury V. Fedotov of the Russian Federation, to whom the Secretary‑General is grateful for his dedicated service to the Organization.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on corruption and conflict, in New York today:

The battle against corruption was vital to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia), told delegates today, noting that corruption stifled growth and development.