Tag: UNODC

The fishing industry's volume and complexity make it vulnerable to exploitation by transnational organized crime. As such, UNODC and the government of Ecuador organized the first "Regional Conference on Fisheries Crime" of the Americas on 12-13 September in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Piracy incidents in the Sulu and Celebes Sea have been a cause of major concern for seafarers and the shipping industry in general, as crews kidnappings have been regularly seen by gangs in the area. There are various reports which suggest that maritime crime including armed robbery and piracy incidents in the region has seen an upward trend in the last few years.

A workshop has taken place in Sri Lanka, Colombo, on 18-20 June, where maritime law experts and practitioners from around the world met to participate in two main sessions aimed at gathering State practice and interpretation information related to international legal instruments. 

UN-trained law enforcement units have intercepted huge shipments of illegal drugs being trafficked through seaports this year, under the Container Control Programme, jointly launched in 2003 by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization.

The index aims to measure and map a range of threats to maritime governance and the capacity of nations to counter these threats. By bringing diverse challenges like piracy, smuggling and capacity-building into one comprehensive analysis, industry can better identify areas for development and expanded cooperation.

UNODC, OBPjointly conduct survey of 66 Somali inmates accused of piracy UNODC and OBP jointly conducted an informal survey of 66 Somali inmates accused of piracy in Hargesia prison in Somaliland, Bosasso Prison in Puntland and Montagne Posee Prison in the Seychelles. The survey was on prisoner attitudes about piracy and effective deterrents. Surveys were conducted in the prisons by UNODC personnel; OBP designed and analyzed the survey data. This survey and its findings should be viewed through the lens of what prisoners wanted to report to the UNODC, and not a wholly neutral survey. With that caveat, the survey finds issues of relevance to UNODC and counter-piracy activities.The survey asked the prisoners to identify their motivations for going to sea were, if they knew anyone that had left piracy, and what their plans were post-prison. The survey also asked their opinion on the most effective deterrent to piracy, and what might stop piracy long-term.The survey found there is a clear economic basis for piracy, and long-term solutions to piracy may require addressing this. One prisoner reported going to sea because "My family is poor, so that's why I joined the pirates." and one reason for leaving piracy was that ...

Between 2000 and 2013, 2,919 seafarers were held hostage by Somali pirates in inhumane conditions, in some instances for years

A new inter-agency platform for information sharing on migrant smuggling by sea has been launched by the IMO

Urgent action is needed to prevent huge losses of life at sea given the forecast increase in unsafe mixed migration by sea, the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) agreed, following a special session on the issue (9 June). The MSC commended the efforts of rescue services, merchant vessels and others in saving lives. But it condemned the actions of the people smugglers. The MSC agreed that greater focus needs to be placed on addressing unsafe migration by sea through more safe and regular migration pathways. It was agreed that the issue of unsafe mixed migration by sea should be placed on the agenda of the MSC and other IMO bodies in order to further discuss the matter and develop actions.IMO Secretary-General Sekimizu told the MSC the situation was a truly humanitarian crisis which was not sustainable. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing the MSC via video message, said this global issue required everyone to work together with a comprehensive approach, which would protect human rights, uphold international law and recognize the benefits of migration. Also addressing the special session were representatives of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Organization ...