Technological advancements have revolutionised global communication and information sharing, offering unparalleled opportunities for collaboration across disciplines. However, they have also facilitated the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech, jeopardising the integrity of the information ecosystem. Addressing these challenges is critical to safeguarding human rights, peace, and sustainable development.
What does it mean to be the National Focal Point for the European Union (EU) Centres of Excellence (CoE) on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk mitigation? And how do we make the initiative more sustainable by attracting other donors? To answer these and other questions, UNICRI, with the support of the European Commission, organized the second edition of the CBRN CoE Academy.
On August 8-9th, under the AI for Safer Children initiative, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), through its Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, and the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), conducted an online training session for Philippine law enforcement authorities. The event reached over 750 members of the Philippine National Police.
From July 8 to 12, 2024, UNICRI conducted its first advanced training course for operative officers on special operations to counter radiological and nuclear (RN) trafficking. Organized within the framework of Phase II of the CONTACT – Black Sea project, the 5-day training session provided six participants from Moldova and Ukraine the opportunity to test and acquire new skills on conducting special operations, with a specific focus on intercepting RN material trafficking.
There is increasing recognition that terrorists can benefit from organized crime, whether domestic or transnational, through trafficking in arms, persons, drugs, cultural property, the illicit exploitation and trafficking of natural resources such as oil, precious metals and minerals, as well as timber, charcoal, and wildlife, the abuse of legitimate commercial enterprise, non-profit organizations, external donations, crowdfunding and proceeds of criminal activity, including kidnapping for ransom, extortion, bank robbery, as well as transnational organized crime at sea.
