Peacekeeping and Security
Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council
Year in Review: United Nations Peace Operations
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council (Chinese version)
Reports of the Security Council
The war on terror: Separating the (star) fish from the sea
Though hardly a new phenomenon terrorism has assumed greater political saliency since the events of 9/11. Unfortunately this greater saliency has not resulted in more effective strategies to counter the terrorist threat the nature of which is often poorly understood. This essay describes terrorism as a method then develops a model of what terrorist organizations look like and how they function focusing on their evolution from hierarchical insurgent groups of the pre 9/11 era to network-like structures of today such as al-Qaeda. Mao Zedong’s dictum about insurgency says “The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea. ”Counterinsurgent strategy has often attempted to “drain the sea”- i.e. separate the guerrilla from his support base in the population. By implication this essay will point out that counterterrorist strategies against contemporary terrorist networks must adapt this drain-the-sea principle to the network model if effective policies are to be developed.
A conversation with history
Freedom From Fear met the leader of Solidarnosc a few days from the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain marking the end of the Cold War during his visit in Italy to Torino Spiritualità to talk about 1989: the year that changed the world.
In the spotlight. Energy security
The geopolitical landscape has changed considerably since the fall of the Berlin Wall with the US maintaining for the time being its economic and military superiority. It seems however that the world is moving towards a fundamental reshuffle of the global balance of power with the emergence of actors whose posture will eventually shape a new global order through alliances reflecting different interests from those currently dominating international politics.
The CBRN threat: Past, present and future
In recent years world leaders news media and experts have warned of the global security threat from chemical biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) material and weapons. Last December a bipartisan U.S. commission cautioned that “unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.” In parallel with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall it is interesting to highlight the Cold War origins of many modern-day CBRN challenges. At the same time this article explores how newer developments have been infusing additional complexity into the global CBRN threat landscape.
From Khmer treasures to Chinese antiquities: The ongoing plunder and trafficking in South East Asia
In June of this year in a ceremony associated with much pomp and political significance the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva handed over to Cambodian officials in Phnom Penh a number of Khmer treasures seized by Thai authorities from smugglers in 1999. The treasures included six massive stone heads of the Hindu God Shiva dating from the 12th Century Angkorian era (Associated Press 2009).
Wall-less Europe
When the wall came down 20 years ago it was the end of a regime whose cruelty was vividly represented by images of the lengths to which it went to keep its citizens within its borders. Who can forget the images of cars being searched as they exited Checkpoint Charlie; border guards doing their utmost to find even the most ingeniously hidden escapee. How can we not remember the dark inventiveness with which a regime seemed to turn every technological advance against its own citizens? How happy one could feel to be a citizen of the free world: free to travel across our own borders with governments who respected our personal liberty not only in this context.
Gaza: A fence away from freedom
There is a fence around Gaza. It stretches from the north to the south. From a distance the fence looks innocent; it is not a tall imposing structure with deep ditches or piercing floodlights. Neither does it appear impenetrable. Yet the fence looks out of place uncomfortable dividing land that otherwise flows gently as far as the eye can see. And as everyone in Gaza knows any seemingly benign features belie the fact that the fence constitutes an absolute – separating people from productive livelihoods family members higher education and indeed freedom itself in the form of access to the rest of the world beyond it.
Has the cold war ended?
Few doubt that the fall of the Berlin Wall is the event that closed the Cold War era and brought in the twenty-first century. Like every event in history this one also has its founding myths.
Youth marginalisation and the burdens of war in Sierra Leone
The transformation of the world system after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 provided a new era of free democratic uncertainties in the lives of the youth population in both West and Eastern Europe. Uncertainties that have never been free or democratic yet always part of the lives of most youth in Africa. In the case of Sierra Leone young people have been struggling for a factual democratisation process and participatory governance since its independence in 1961 thus revealing the role the Sierra Leonean youth has been keen to play in the country’s political social and economic processes.
UN engagement on the rule of law: Helping States substitute right for might
Promoting the rule of law at national and international level is at the very heart of the global mission of the United Nations. The rule of law is fundamental to achieving a durable peace in the aftermath of conflict to the protection of human rights and to economic progress and development. The basic concept that drives our work is the principle that everyone – from the ordinary citizen to the State and its leaders – is accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated equally enforced and independently adjudicated and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. As a lawyer and a former professor of law I retain a deep personal interest in this area of UN engagement.
Corruption undermines health care systems: a human rights issue
Counter the financing of terrorism
The financing of terrorism is often difficult to detect because it follows only few fixed patterns. For instance an investigation into the financial transactions of some high profile terrorists and hijackers showed that most of the individual transactions were not that unusual. The account holders appeared to be foreign students receiving money to fund their studies; in such a way the transactions then would not be flagged as suspicious transactions needing a special scrutiny by the financial institutions involved.
An analysis of Mexico’s organized crime: Narco-police and the dead women of Juarez
The current situation in Mexico has put the international community on alert due to the increas in crime rates; besides common criminality bizarre behaviours have developed and are concerning Mexican citizens their government and foreigners. This situation is out of the country’s control: in the past attacks massive kidnappings and homicides as well as drug trafficking were seen as isolated cases but nowadays they have become recurrent and interconnected issues.
Corruption in natural resource management: An introduction
Natural resources often provide fertile ground for corruption. Since a substantial number of partner countries in development cooperation are richly endowed with natural resources these contexts pose a particular challenge for effective donor action. The risk of corruption cuts across several natural resource sectors from non-renewable resources such as oil gas minerals and metals to renewable resources such as forests fisheries and land. There are however important variations in the challenges presented by these sectors and the manner in which corruption in relation to them can be addressed.
Foul play: Corruption in football
2006 was a dark year for the Italian football nation. The former management of FC Juventus Turin one of the most popular teams in the world was accused of manipulating games with the help of corrupt referees players and officials. As a consequence the team had to dismount to the second division and its last two-championship titles 2005 and 2006 were withdrawn. One of the managers was punished to 5 years of occupational ban. In total 26 officials were accused.
A business worth 50 million dollars
Nur is a common name but it is just as likely that it is not his real name; he has been living for some time on the coast of Kenya near Lamu one of the last standing examples of Islamic architecture not far from the Somali border. He is a little over forty years old he speaks broken English and is constantly chewing on “khat” leaves from a plant that grows in some areas of Kenya and Ethiopia which cause a mild state of euphoria and are commonly used in Somalia. Although he was initially diffident and almost scared of my questions he overcame his hesitation in front of a few banknotes and accepted my invitation to tell his story and his experience as a pirate.
Somalia at a glance
Somalia became independent in the 1960s when the two protectorates Great Britain’s in the South and Italy’s in the North were unified. A military coup headed by Mohamed Siad Barre in 1969 brought the country into a military regime that very soon shifted into an authoritarian rule which somehow managed to generate a certain degree of balance. After having experienced such ‘stability’ the country precipitated into a civil chaos in 1991 after Siad Barre was overthrown by opposing clans. Since then Somalia whose territory occupies a strategic and crucial position in the Horn of Africa has been living in full anarchy. Shortly after Barre’s capitulation the northern region of Somalia self-declared the independent Republic of Somaliland a country never recognized by other states which however has been preserving a stable existence: the Republic includes today eight administrative districts and it keeps its effort to guarantee democratic representation holding elections at all levels local and parliamentary.
Restorative justice. Restoring victims and communities
What do the following news stories have in common? The Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme responsible for the biggest corporate securities fraud in history the Austrian rape and murder case of Josef Fritzi whose daughter was enslaved for 24 years and the Irish Republican Army shooting two British soldiers and injuring four others in March 2009 breaking the peace outside Belfast? The answer is that we will probably never know what steps have been taken to provide a form of reparation to the victims or their families in ways that allow them to live their lives in peace. Victims-driven restorative justice is happening all around the globe. It is challenging the traditional criminal justice system by providing a new vision for systemic justice reform. The crime victims and those who recognize their unmet needs are the ones who are increasingly leading the effort to make this transition. However despite thorough evidence and numerous restorative justice evaluations the victims’ appeals for restoration are rarely heard.
Tackling cyber crime and cyber terrorism through a methodological approach
Destabilizing factors in urban settings: explaining violence and social disorganization in Ciudad Juarez
The most visible manifestations of urban violence encompass physical and psychological harm against persons – from homicide to other forms of victimization. For more than a century social scientists have also studied the ways in which violence reconfigures social and spatial relations and triggers cycles of insecurity and fear that span generations. There is also evidence that “structural” forms of urban violence arising from the degradation of urban economies and austerity measures can equally contribute to a “break down” in social life leading to new forms of violence. An especially disconcerting manifestation of urban violence is found in Mexico.
Illicit trafficking of precious metals and its destabilizing factors in systems of affected countries
Illicit trafficking in precious metals is an integral part of a growing international trend of which the continued existence depends on organised crime corruption and developmental inequalities. The problem of illicit trafficking in precious metals entails organised criminal groups exploiting loopholes in national and international legislation as well as gaps in the trade monitoring procedures.
From encryption to failure of traditional investigation instruments: The challenges of fighting cybercrime
The shift from industrial societies to information societies 1 and the related dependence of the society as well as the economy on the availability of Internet services have moved the attention of politics towards the cybercrime topic. While in other emerging areas of crime it is possible to use traditional crime prevention and investigation strategies the fight against cybercrime faces unique challenges that require a special attention from both investigators and lawmakers. This article provides an overview of some of those challenges.
Close up. Reporting in times of war
Once upon a time there was journalism. Many have recited the de profundis for the reporting profession over the last few years. Because of the economic crisis which has been stifling newspapers for the last two years. And before that in an even more substantial way because of how conflicts in the post 9/11 world have changed the way of telling History and the stories of those who are called upon to cover them.
Interview with a hacker: Chronicles of a black hat
The internet: Anonymous forever
Universal identification is portrayed by some as the holy grail of Internet security. Anonymity is bad the argument goes; and if we abolish it we can ensure only the proper people have access to their own information. We will know who is sending us spam and who is trying to hack into corporate networks. And when there are massive denial-of-service attacks such as those against Estonia or Georgia or South Korea we will know who was responsible and take action accordingly.
Webcam child sex tourism: stopping the growing number of predators
Among many others the Webcam Child Sex Tourism (WCST) is one of the emerging crimes against children and represents a violation of the United Nations Conventions on child rights. WCST is illegal in most countries. Some have laws prohibiting adults from conversing with minors about sex. Others prohibit “enticing” a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Other countries outlaw showing obscene images to minors and most countries prohibit viewing sexual images and sexual performances involving minors. Thus Governments should adopt policies that give their law enforcement agencies the mandate to proactively search for predators seeking to engage in WCST on public online places known to be hotspots for child abuse.
The death penalty: a child rights issue and a public health issue
2013 saw the first ever United Nations Human Rights Council panel discussion on Children of Parents Sentenced to Death or Executed. The author summarizes new research on this neglected topic.
The last stop
Violent extremism is the last stop in a long process. It is the most visible type of extremism and it creates deep and painful traces in many people’s lives. With hindsight we ask ourselves over and over what we could have done differently. It is not necessarily wrong if we do it to learn but if we do it to undo what cannot be undone our starting point is wrong. We do not have time to regret. We have time to act and we must do that all the time because violent extremism is about people’s lives. It is about the fate of people who we might be able to help. The debate about violent extremism is not necessarily merely about what we are left with in the aftermath of a tragic event but about what forms people who are willing to take to violence to express their opinions.
Avoid becoming a victim of cybercrime
The news is full of reports detailing the stories of victims who have lost thousands even millions of dollars at the hands of cyber criminals. Many of us know someone who has already been the victim of one of these crimes. As widespread as cybercrime appears to be it would be easy to conclude there is little anyone can do to avoid becoming a victim. However the prevalence of cybercrime does not mean that victimization is inevitable or that people should avoid using the Internet. Users can make themselves aware of the vulnerabilities its use creates and can take steps to reduce their risks.
When citizens start destabilizing the power of mafia
The impact of the mafia on our societies is complex and multidimensional: it affects our politics our economy our culture our development and our opportunities. In other terms it affects our society as a whole.
Cybercrime and organized crime
The current era of cybercrime is no longer dominated by hackers accessing computer systems just for fun or notoriety. The development and growth of the digital economy has changed the criminal landscape dramatically. High rewards combined with low risks have made digital networks an attractive environment for various types of criminal groups. In the non-digital era organised crime sought after the safe havens offered by countries with weak governments and unstable political regimes. Today’s organised criminal groups can benefit from national jurisdictions that do not have proper legal frameworks and technical capabilities to fight cybercrime. The easiness of communication anonymity and the accessibility of tools for illegal operations have transformed cybercrime into a global fast-expanding and profit-driven industry with organised criminal groups thriving behind it.
Online crimes against children
The emergence of the Internet as a mass consumer product has not necessarily created any entirely new genres of crime but it has certainly given a new twist to some very old and familiar ones. Above all it has changed the scale on which a number of offences are carried out. Crimes against children are a classic example. Crimes involving the production and distribution of child abuse images are a very specific case in point.
Environmental crime and instability: the role of criminal networks in the trafficking and illegal dumping of hazardous waste
Amongst environmental crimes trafficking and illegal dumping of waste has become a significant source of revenue attracting growing interest of unscrupulous brokers as well as criminal networks. This crime poses not only a serious prothreat to the environment and human health but has also become one of the causes for social and economic instability.
The value of natural capital: a risk or an opportunity?
What is the value of a forest? And that of a river? The answer depends on whom you ask: indigenous people who depend on the forest and consider trees and water streams to be sacred surely have a totally different idea than the manager of a timber company.
Terrorist use of the internet and legal response
Without doubt terrorist organisations today are using the Internet for various purposes. Unlike the early debate when the focus was on potential terrorist-related network-based attacks against critical infrastructure and the use of information technology in armed conflicts (cyberwarfare) it is widely recognised that the range of activities is more complex.1 Terrorist use of the Internet includes research training propaganda and communication.2 But despite more intensive research many aspects are still uncertain as reports about concrete incidents often remain classified. The following article provides an overview of the different areas of terrorist use of the Internet and the concept of legal response.
Defending quality of life through critical infrastructure protection
Lebanese emigration: Lebanon’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain!
Are “drugs” the consequence of economic and political destabilizing factors?
Every society and culture has the stimulants and intoxicants it deserves needs and tolerates. Since hallowed antiquity alcohol has been THE intoxicant for the western culture. Alcohol is so much part of the culture that few can imagine life without it. Aside from stating this fact can the link between drugs and culture be developed further? Some examples might help to clarify the concepts and categories that would allow a closer look at the interdependence between drugs and culture.
Rethinking security governance: a new security architecture
Security risks are a constant for any human society. Human beings and human societies have always strived to create an order that secures their lives jobs properties and the future of their children. The risks that prevented the achievement of this goal have mostly been similar throughout history and include wars famine economic crisis climate change natural disasters technological catastrophes terrorism and crime.
Privacy vs. security? A dliemma of the digital era
Over the coming years a crucial issue in dealing with cybercrime will be the delicate balance that must necessarily be struck between personal data protection public order and security. If the stellar growth in e-commerce in the last decade was accompanied by increasing alarm about the attendant potential for fraud (from e-bay scams to creditcard cloning) the next ten years seem bound to be beset by the headaches of cloud computing: who knows what dormant dangers may be inadvertently aroused merely by surfing the web even without posting personal data online or using social networks (all of which are exposed to data mining)?
Albinism in Africa: interview with Stéphane Ebongue Koube
China’s commitment to the United Nations Convention against Corruption
In its 2012 survey covering 178 countries Transparency International ranked China at 3.5 in what is called the Corruption Perception Index the 80th country together with Serbia and Trinidad and Tobago. To see things from another point of view China was the fourth-lowest ranking of G20 nations with only Argentina India Indonesia and Russia scoring lower. At such levels corruption poses a threat to China’s political stability and sustainable development especially at a time when China’s ‘Gini’ coefficient a statistical measure of income inequality is at 0.47 close to that 0.5 threshold where inequality is severe and calls for immediate action. Many experts believe that this widening wealth gap is partly the result of large amounts of “illegal income” resulting from corruption.
See you in Mogadishu
It was the month of November 1991. Mohamed Aden Sheikh one of the most versatile Somali men and former representative of the Somali government was publishing his first book in a Western country. “See you in Mogadishu” a book-interview with Italian journalist Pietro Petrucci was the story of the state of Somalia since its independence (1960) told by somebody who served its country as a shepherd doctor minister and refugee. Siad Barre was the dictator who first appointed him as Minister of Health and Minister of Culture and Information in the ‘70s and then jailed him from 1982 to 1988; after Barre’s government fell in January 1991 three different self-declared “presidents” started fighting for the control of the territory and the international community was about to intervene.
Macau: The Ao Man Long corruption and money laundering case
This article summarizes the main issues underlying the case of Ao Man Long the highest profile corruption case ever occurred in the Macau Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China which attracted international attention. Ao Man Long was the first Secretary for Public Works in the Government of the Macau SAR a post equivalent to minister to which he was appointed on 20 December 1999 at age 43 and then reappointed in 2004 for a second term. Ao graduated in mechanical engineering from the University of Taiwan obtained an MBA at the University of Macau and had served as a Macau civil servant since 1987.
Corruption and corruption control: An introduction
Corruption and control of corruption have become a focal concern in developed and developing countries. European countries - where corruption for a long time had been thought to present a plague strictly confined to underdeveloped countries - now are recognizing eminent dangers of corruption and an urgent need to control corrupt practices in the political administrative and economic system. The Council of Europe has declared corruption a key political issue in Europe and stresses the links between corruption on the one hand and organized and serious economic crime on the other hand. However one can say that also governments in European countries and elsewhere have (re)discovered the enormous moral emotional and symbolic value of declaring wars against corruption. This becomes evident when for instance in the LIMA declaration corruption is depicted as a cancer as something which has to be eradicated completely and as a disease like social phenomenon which threatens the social fabric at large. Other voices declare corruption to represent an attack on the “heart of the state”. In particular the view that corruption is closely linked to organized and transnational crime and that control of corruption should also be part of a medicine against organized crime at large has fueled attempts to strengthen repressive and preventive policies against corruption. This has led also to see corruption not only as a threat to proper public administration and law enforcement and effective anti-corruption policies as a precondition of good governance but as a strategic instrument used by organized crime groups to establish parallel worlds and a system of impunity. Increased media attention certainly is contributing to the growing awareness of problems of corruption and corruption control. The European Union has expressed interest in corruption control in particular with a view of protecting the system of European subsidies and the European Union’s budget. However corruption evidently exists without organized crime and without supranational opportunities to deviate funds from supranational budgets. While control of corruption and bribery for most of the 20th Century was conceived as a task entrusted to national law enforcement and national criminal justice systems in the last two decades of the 20th Century – following the discourse on transnational organized crime – corruption control became an issue with an European international and transnational dimension. Transnational corruption was raised as a problem in particular through the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977 which – after an extended multilateral discourse – initiated drafting and enactment of similar legislation in industrialized countries.
Crime and policing in virtual worlds: On the ever-evolving nature of cybercrime
The rapidly changing nature of information and communications technologies suggests that as soon as new hardware software or other applications are introduced they will be exploited in some form or fashion by international criminal organisations. The speed at which criminals can exploit these technologies is truly remarkable. Unfortunately law enforcement and the criminal justice system bound by limited budgets finite training and traditional legal regimes are much slower in their abilities to respond.
Global cybersecurity agenda
ITU (International Telecommunication Union) recognizes that information and technology security are critical priorities for the international community. Cybersecurity is in everyone’s best interest and this can only be achieved through collaborative efforts. Cyber threat issues are global and therefore their solutions must be global too. It is vital that all countries arrive at a common understanding regarding cybersecurity namely by providing protection against unauthorized access manipulation and destruction of critical resources. ITU believes that in developing a solution one must identify all existing national and regional initiatives in order to foster collaboration with its multiple stakeholders and avoid duplication of efforts. With its 191 Member States and more than 700 Sector Members ITU is uniquely placed to propose a framework for international cooperation in cybersecurity and assist in tackling cybercrime.
Contemporary racism across Europe
Developments in a number of countries worldwide show that the power of racist ideas remains strong even forging movements and political parties that can result in deadly consequences. Various daily manifestations of racist hate speech and discrimination are a reminder of the persisting importance of this phenomenon as a social and political issue in the contemporary global environment for racism remains a vibrant influence on current social and political movements even on state policies. As one such timely example the virulently anti-Semitic and racist Greek political party Golden Dawn combines both legal (running for elections) and illegal action (violently assaulting migrants) with a heavy nostalgia for the Third Reich. In Hungary the Hungarian Guard which is a paramilitary militia of the Jobbik party terrorises the Roma people even murdering some forcing them to flee the country. A myriad of other examples could further be listed which is why it is essential to develop a common culture of stigmatization of racism and promote a proactive role of community actors who can not only recognise and report these phenomena but also actively contrast racism xenophobia and related forms of intolerance throughout Europe.
Hackers profiling: Who are the attackers?
Who is attacking you? “We don’t know...” When talking about attackers and hacking it often happens that I ask people working at customer’s sites “who is scaring you?” Most of the time the answer I hear is not “Well you know… I’m scared by script kids playing with those couple of unpatched machines I have” nor is it “I’m really scared about industrial spies.” Rather 98% of the time the answer is “I don’t know.”
That was then, this is now: A concise look back on the hacker subculture
There is no argument that since the Internet’s widespread commercialization roughly twenty years ago it has exponentially improved automated and streamlined much of our lifestyle with every passing year. The advantages of living in a wired (or wireless) world are apparent but not without risks: the media is rife with speculation on hackers and every week a new phishing ring is busted or a massive data breach is reported. But who are these much-maligned hackers and where do they come from?
Estimating and interpreting the prevalence of E-fraud across the world
In the spotlight. Humankind’s suffering is not something one can get used to
I decided to write a book in the summer of 2009 when the Italian government started intercepting and turning back migrants at sea. I thought it would have helped me analyse what has been going on these years and what is not happening nowadays. Despite the apparent calm that was looming over the waters of the Mediterranean in the absence of disembarkments apprehension still arose from the many stories of the men and women who had reached one after the other and throughout the years the Favarolo dock of Lampedusa and the southern coasts of Italy.
The state of cybercrimes
Your computer may be “pwned.”1 While you’re reading this article a miscreant might be virtually peering over your shoulder or worse. Then again perhaps you follow best practices for securing your computer: you patch your operating system you maintain a current anti-virus software subscription and your Web surfing habits are fastidiously cautious. Unfortunately your computer may still be pwned.
A bleak year for piracy
2008 has been a bleak year for piracy. The figures of the annual report by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) surpass all figures for hijacked vessels and hostages taken recorded since it began its worldwide reporting function in 1992.
The responsibility to protect: Whom from what?
Undoubtedly the responsibility to protect is a hot item. Endorsed and explained in two detailed paragraphs (138 and 139) of the unanimously adopted Outcome Document of the 2005 World Summit it has since been reaffirmed by the General Assembly (resolution 60/1) and the Security Council (resolutions 1674 (2006) and 1706 (2006)) and the subject of a major speech (SG/SM/11701) and a major report (A/63/677) of UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon. The General Assembly is expected to take up the Secretary-General’s report which lays out a comprehensive strategy for implementing the concept in what promises to be a lively debate at some point in the next two months. Civil society networks for researching and advocating the responsibility to protect have sprung up in many parts of the world as have any number of books articles and commentaries on the subject. It has acquired as well the ultimate symbols of trendiness: an acronym (or two really RtoP for the UN and R2P for most everyone else) and a devoted academic journal Global Responsibility to Protect. Not bad for a term first coined by Gareth Evans and the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) less than eight years ago.
From sea to land. An all-encompassing approach
Contemporary piracy is a booming criminal activity not only because of its high profitability with an extremely positive cost-benefit balance for the perpetrators but also due to the acute vulnerability of the targets lack of awareness and specific countermeasures along with the highly underreported nature of the crime. Since the beginning of 2008 UNICRI started to develop the idea of a programme taking into account the Institute’s competences in crime prevention and knowledge management and its expertise in the establishment of an effective public / private partnership to counter crime. The programme has been conceived within the framework of the UN convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) and on the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (1988) considering also the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1816 1846 and 1851 (2008) which authorize a series of decisive measures to combat the acts of piracy against vessels off the coast of Somalia.
Insurance world. New coverage for new threats
The last developments off the coast of the Horn of Africa have triggered a veritable media frenzy. Clearly piracy is not a new phenomenon. However the frequency and scale of recent acts of piracy are a real cause for concern especially those off the coast of Somalia currently the most perilous waters in the world.
Somalia. Media under attack
Freedom of information in Somalia is at risk: gripped by anarchic violence and chaos this nation of the Horn of Africa has been ranked among the deadliest country for media by the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Iraqi elections
In his last unscheduled visit to Iraq last 6th of February UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated Iraqi people for the largely violence-free elections and restated the UN’s commitment to the country.
Victims of crime meeting with a killer
In 1986 Ellen Halbert was raped stabbed beaten with a hammer and left for dead in her home in Texas. During her recovery she began to speak out about victims’ rights and what needed to change in our “offender-focused” criminal justice system. In 1991 she was appointed by Governor Ann Richards as the first victim to serve on the Texas Board of Criminal Justice the board that oversees the massive adult criminal justice system in Texas. This six-year appointment ended in March 1997. Ms. Halbert has won numerous honors and awards for her work. Due to her dedication to crime victims and tireless advocacy for rehabilitation of offenders a 500-bed female substance abuse treatment prison honored her in 1995 by naming the facility the Ellen Halbert Unit. In 1996 both the Texas Corrections Association and the Texas Crime Victim Clearinghouse established awards in her name to recognize her work on behalf of crime victims. In 1997 she won the National Crime Victim Service Award the highest Federal award for service to victims. In 1999 she was named as one of Texas’ Women of the Century. In 2001 she was the mediator for a Court TV documentary “Meeting With a Killer – One Family’s Journey.” This documentary was nominated for an Emmy in 2002. Ms. Halbert is presently the Director of the Victim Witness Division at the District Attorney’s Office in Travis County Texas.
Cyber crimes in the financial sector
A few months ago Ian Rowan reported at Switched.com the news of a computer consultant who siphoned $1M USD from a Utah Bank. Mementosecurity commented the article on April 27th explaining how “An IT contractor hired to fix some bugs in a recent computer upgrade used his system access to make fraudulent electronic transfers into accounts under his control. He allegedly used the funds to remodel his home pay off his two car notes and cover a few mortgage payments. The fraud came to light when his business partner reported the suspicious transactions.”
Achieving zero, new victims of landmines
As we think about how we can continue to reduce and if possible eliminate new victims of landmines we are reminded of the remarkable advances during the evolution of mine action work which began with the establishment of the mine action operation for Afghanistan in 1989. We remember those lost and those affected and our determination to live in a world free of the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war is fortified. It is my fervent hope that a world with zero new victims of landmines will become a reality in my lifetime.
Criminalization of illegal enrichment
According to the public opinion’s group of definitions some behaviour or act should be considered as corruption as the public opinion considers it as corruptive. Corruption also can be defined as a process in which at least two persons through an illegal exchange conducted with purpose of getting certain personal benefits do something contrary to public interest and by breaching moral and legal norms threaten the fundamentals of democratic society and the rule of law. In any case corruption is the generic term set for criminal offences such as bribe giving bribe accepting trading in influence and so on.
How does corruption translate in social sectors?
Corruption is often depicted as a major impediment to poverty reduction. Being detrimental to good governance corruption undermines the smooth implementation of sound economic and social policies. First as far as petty corruption is concerned extra payments in the forms of bribes are required from users of public services; therefore fair access to public services is denied. The poor segments of the population are the most vulnerable to corruption either because they cannot afford to pay bribes or because they have no possibility to escape corrupted public services (the wealthy elite can always afford private expensive clinics). Secondly non transparent public procurements often lead to accepting offers which are not cost-effective and are sub-optimal. Public monies are therefore not allocated in the most efficient manner and are partly wasted. Thirdly as far as grand corruption is concerned embezzlements of public funds results in a gap in budgetary means.
Ending the impunity of corrupt officials and returning the proceeds of corruption: The stolen asset recovery initiative (SIAR)
The local public seems to be bombarded with stories about corruption. It seems that there are weekly front-page headlines boldly announcing that some former president of an African country had stolen billions of dollars and hidden them outside of their country. Another news report targets a senior politician from the Americas who is hiding in Europe with untold sums of monies. Or that a former minister from Southeast Asia had been convicted of corruption but their monies and properties remain safe in various financial centres around the world. This was the state of anti-corruption efforts in 2007. This arrogance and impunity had to be addressed by the international community.
In the spotlight: Crakcing down on money laundering: Illicit cash couriers under the spotlight!
GIS and satallite applications for piracy-monitoring
Without a central government for nearly two decades the people of Somalia have had to cope with natural disasters civil war and humanitarian crisis as best as they can often resorting to informal and illegal economic activities for survival. Although the origins of Somali maritime piracy remain obscured it is likely that this was a response of Somali fishermen to the illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing within their territorial waters by foreign companies who sought to capitalize on the lack of a national coast guard in the 1990s.
What makes news newsworthy?
In order to provide counter piracy support in the Gulf of Aden and to ensure the delivery of the Humanitarian Aid intended to the territory of Somalia NATO escorted World Food Program vessels off the coast of Somalia from October to December 2008. This mission was assigned to the NATO Standing Maritime Group 2 and was acting under the name of Operation Allied provider. Following the request of the Secretary General of the United Nations on 25 September 2008 the operation took place in support of UNSC resolution 18141816 and 1838.
Intelligence in the fight against piracy
With one of Africa’s longest coastlines stretching for 3300 kilometres Somalia enjoys a strategic location in the Horn of Africa. Vital world trade flows around this failed state torn from within by belligerent clans warlords and Islamist jihadists. Despite this strategic location Somalia is a fast changing entity whose unfolding events upset the international community.
Legal disputes over maritime piracy
Somalia is not party to any of the relevant international treaties and does not have any modern domestic legislation directly applicable to piracy or environmental protection. However the countries currently providing naval forces to combat piracy at sea off Somalia are parties to one or more of the relevant treaties. In addition neighboring countries such as Kenya Djibouti Yemen and Tanzania are also parties to some or all of these treaties and these countries have enacted the legislation necessary to implement one or more of the treaties.
Model law against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, second revised edition
International Instruments Related to the Prevention and Suppression of International Terrorism
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Special Bibliography 2014
This third bibliography is compiled by the library in order to facilitate researcher’s access to the increasing volume of published documents on the work of the tribunal. The product is the unique tool that assists people to know the areas which have been covered by the researchers. The bibliography includes references from books journals and periodicals theses comments and notes on judicial cases as well.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1993-1995
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1993-1995. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1946-1951
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council. The first issue covers the years 1946-1951. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1989-1992
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1989-1992. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1969-1971
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1969-1971. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 2012-2013
The Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council provides UN Member States UN entities researchers and the general public a comprehensive reliable objective and readily accessible source of information regarding the evolving practice of the Security Council on constitutional procedural and substantive matters since inception in 1946. The Repertoire covers in particular the Council’s interpretation and application of the UN Charter and its own Provisional Rules of Procedure and features case studies as well as summaries of its official documents. This publication is a two volume set.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1975-1980
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1975-1980. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1981-1984
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1981-1984. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1964-1965
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1964-1965. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1966-1968
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1966-1968. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1985-1988
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1985-1988. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council 2014-2015
Official documents of Resolutions and Decisions of the Security Council 2014-2015.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1972-1974
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1972-1974. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1952-1955
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1952-1955. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1959-1963
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1959-1963. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.
Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council: Supplement 1956-1958
This publication serves as a guide to the proceedings of the Security Council presenting an analytical indexed presentation of the practices and procedures since 1946. The current supplement covers the years 1956-1958. It deals with a period when the Council’s practice in response to changes and new challenges on the international scene considerably expanded in scope in the areas of conflict prevention peacekeeping and electoral assistance. The Repertoire is designed to assist government officials practitioners on international law academics and all those interested in the work of the UN to gain a better understanding of the framework within which it operates. Texts of decisions on disputes and situations are accompanied by historical case summaries of the relevant chain of proceedings.