Law and Crime Prevention

Pause before sharing, to help stop viral spread of COVID-19 misinformation

The UN is asking people to make the same judgement calls they’ve been applying to social distancing, to social media, and take extra care before sharing.

Harmful practices rob women and girls of ‘right to reach their full potential’

Urgent, and accelerated action is needed to end female genital mutilation, child marriage, and other “harmful practices” and abuses carried out against women and girls, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA), said on Tuesday, in its latest major report on the state of the world’s population. 

Human Rights Council picks up again after COVID suspension, to hold racism debate

After a three month long COVID-19-enforced break, the Human Rights Council resumed on Monday, giving the green light to a rare Urgent Debate on racism, alleged police brutality and violence against protesters sickened by the killing of American George Floyd in police custody.

UN launches new project to address link between terrorism, arms and crime

Cheap and easily accessible small arms are increasingly becoming the “weapon of choice” for many terrorist groups, the UN counter-terrorism chief told an event on Friday aimed to raise awareness of the nexus between terrorism, organized crime and illicit small arms trafficking.

Radioactive material ‘a magnet for groups with malicious intent’, warns UN nuclear watchdog chief

Government ministers and other high-level representatives from more than 140 countries, on Monday adopted a new declaration to enhance global nuclear security and counter the threat of nuclear terrorism.

‘Unprecedented terrorist violence’ in West Africa, Sahel region

The top UN official in West Africa and the Sahel updated the Security Council on Wednesday, describing an “unprecedented" rise in terrorist violence across the region.