1 October 2021 

UN

UNCTAD: New approach needed to make digital data flow beneficial for all.

The world needs a new approach to allow as many people as possible to access digital data across borders, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Wednesday.

This should help maximize development gains and ensure that they are equitably distributed, said the agency, launching its Digital Economy Report 2021.

A new approach should also enable worldwide data sharing, increase the development of global digital “public goods”, increase trust and reduce uncertainty in the digital economy, UNCTAD added.

The report stressed that the new global system must help avoid further fragmentation of the internet, address policy challenges emerging from the dominant positions of digital platforms, and narrow existing inequalities.

“It is more important than ever to embark on a new path for digital and data governance,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his preface to the report.

“The current fragmented data landscape... may create more space for substantial harms related to privacy breaches, cyberattacks and other risks” he added.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/09/1101542 

 

Migrants and Refugees

The United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement today released its much-anticipated report, which advocates for nationally owned solutions for more than 55 million people displaced within their own countries.

Shining a Light on Internal Displacement: A Vision for the Future urges Governments to take a “development-oriented approach” to solutions for their citizens and residents displaced by violence, conflicts, disasters and the impacts of climate change.

The Panel presented its report to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at today’s event, calling on Governments, civil society, the international community and the private sector to step up collective action to end protracted displacement.

The report laments “a collective failure” to prevent, address and resolve internal displacement, but it also identifies real opportunities to bring about shifts in the approaches and practices required to end unnecessary suffering.

https://www.un.org/internal-displacement-panel/content/high-level-panel-maintaining-status-quo-not-option-millions-trapped-displacement

 

ICC

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, is seeking to resume investigations into war crimes in Afghanistan

Karim Khan filed an application for an expedited order before Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court seeking authorisation for his Office to resume its investigation in the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The ICC's Prosecutor have decided to focus his Office's investigations in Afghanistan on crimes allegedly committed by the Taliban and the *Islamic State – Khorasan Province and to deprioritise other aspects of this investigation.

On 5 March 2020, the ICC's Appeals Chamber authorised K. Khan's Office to investigate alleged atrocity crimes committed within the context of the Afghanistan situation since 1 July 2002.

Before that, the former ICC's Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, requested authorisation to commence an investigation into alleged crimes committed on the territory of Afghanistan. She stated that there was a reasonable basis to believe that the following categories of crimes within the Court's jurisdiction have occurred:

  • i. Crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Taliban and their affiliated Haqqani Network;
  • ii. War crimes by the Afghan National Security Forces, in particular, members of the National Directorate for Security and the Afghan National Police, and
  • iii. War crimes by members of the United States armed forces on the territory of Afghanistan, and by members of the US Central Intelligence Agency in secret detention facilities in Afghanistan and on the territory of other States Parties to the Rome Statute, principally in the period of 2003-2004.

On 26 March 2020, the Government of Afghanistan requested, pursuant to the Rome Statute, that the Prosecutor defers the investigation into the Afghanistan Situation to the Afghan national authorities. K. Khan's Office thereafter deferred its investigations as required by the Statute. 

https://news.un.org/ru/story/2021/09/1410802?utm_source=UN+News+-+Russian&utm_campaign=895d485d25-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_09_29_12_00&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6a23d2f3b7-895d485d25-10745070

 

*Organisation banned in the Russian Federation 

 

INTERPOL

INTERPOL carries out full-scale drone countermeasure exercise.

Countermeasure systems are essential in ensuring the security of airports, airspaces and protecting no-fly zones.

OSLO, Norway – INTERPOL and the Norwegian Police have carried out a three-day exercise to evaluate and test drone countermeasures in a secure airspace environment.

Held in Oslo from 28 to 30 September, the real-life exercise gathered law enforcement, academia and industry experts from Europe, Israel, and the United States to test and assess 17 drone countermeasures to ensure the safety of an airport environment through the detection, tracking, and identification of drones and their pilots. These systems are emerging as essential elements in ensuring the security of airports, airspaces and protecting no-fly zones above cities, prisons, and critical infrastructure.

Each countermeasure was assessed and graded against specified criteria. The results will be consolidated to create an INTERPOL Drone Countermeasure Framework which will be available to law enforcement across INTERPOL’s 194 member countries, creating a global focal point for collaboration and knowledge-sharing

https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2021/INTERPOL-carries-out-full-scale-drone-countermeasure-exercise

 

Illegal gambling: Operation SOGA VIII leads to 1,400 arrests

LYON, France – While most of us were watching the UEFA European Football Championship as simple fans, hundreds of specialized officers across 28 countries were targeting organized crime groups looking to earn millions from illegal gambling and related money laundering activities.

INTERPOL’s Operation SOGA VIII (short for soccer gambling) led to thousands of raids and the arrest of some 1,400 suspects across Asia and Europe.  Authorities seized USD 7.9 million in cash, as well as computers and mobile phones connected to nearly USD 465 million in bets.

Illegal gambling generates significant profits for organized crime networks and is often closely associated with other crimes such as money laundering and corruption. The operation was coordinated by INTERPOL’s Financial Crimes and Anti-Corruption units, with support from the Asia-Pacific Expert Group on Organized Crime (APEG) and the INTERPOL Match Fixing Task Force (IMFTF).

Hong Kong Police detained more than 800 suspects, including the alleged kingpin of a triad-controlled bookmaking syndicate, seizing nearly USD 2.7 million in cash and records detailing hundreds of millions in bets, making it one of their most successful operations against illegal gambling ever.

https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2021/Illegal-gambling-Operation-SOGA-VIII-leads-to-1-400-arrests

 

Europol

330 arrests during EU-wide Joint Action Days

The joint activities targeted the trafficking of drugs and weapons and the facilitation of illegal immigration in Southeast Europe. 

Spain, supported by Europol, coordinated Europe-wide joint action days targeting facilitation of illegal immigration, drug trafficking and trafficking of firearms. The operation took place between 15 and 18 September 2021. The operational activities involving 27 countries (17 EU Member States and 10 non-EU countries) were also supported by Eurojust, Frontex, INTERPOL and other international organisation.

The intelligence-led and multidisciplinary approach of these EMPACT Joint Action Days contributed to the results of this successful cooperation between a wide range of law enforcement authorities including police, immigration agencies and border control agencies. 
 

330 arrests and 37 new investigations

The operational activities took place mainly in Southeast Europe, while other countries from across Europe participated by sharing intelligence and conducting operational actions at the national level. The actions, involving almost 11 000 officers on the ground, led to 330 arrests related to different crimes including drug trafficking, the facilitation of illegal immigration, document fraud and the trafficking of firearms. The investigated activities also led to the detection of a number of offences related to the facilitation of illegal immigration and related crimes and legal violations such as visa fraud. Following the concerted actions, law enforcement authorities initiated 37 new investigations. 

Overall results:

  • 33 418 people checked
  • 724 locations searched
  • 22 605 vehicles inspected
  • Seizures including 154 firearms (65 pistols, 86 rifles and assault rifles, 3 gas alarms), 57 hand grenades and explosives, 2125 pieces of ammunition, 719 kg of cannabis and 920 marijuana plants) 

https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/330-arrests-during-eu-wide-joint-action-days

 

106 arrested in a sting against online fraudsters: about € 10 million was stolen in just a year

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), supported by the Italian National Police (Polizia di Stato), Europol and Eurojust, dismantled an organised crime group linked to the Italian Mafia involved in online fraud, money laundering, drug trafficking and property crime.

The suspects defrauded hundreds of victims through phishing attacks and other types of online fraud such as SIM swapping and business email compromise before laundering the money through a wide network of money mules and shell companies. Last year alone, the illegal profit is estimated at about € 10 million.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/106-arrested-in-sting-against-online-fraudsters