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- UNODC warns on organized crime
Organized crime syndicates are operating globally at a level that threatens the development and stability of countries particularly in West Africa and Central America, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warns. Their operations pull in billions of dollars annually from trade in drugs, people and weapons, exploitation of natural resources and cybercrime, UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said as he urged a coordinated international effort on money laundering and corruption. Bloomberg Businessweek/The Associated Press (6/17) , Google/Agence France-Presse (6/17)        - ILO votes on HIV/AIDS workplace standard
Governments should create HIV/AIDS prevention programs available to workers in their place of employment and encourage efforts to aid infected workers to remain productive as long as their health allows, the UN International Labor Organization said Thursday. The ILO's nonbinding recommendation creates the world's first international standard on HIV/AIDS issues in the workplace. Reuters (6/17) - Japan faces pressure over whale hunts
Diplomatic efforts to secure agreement from Japan on a whale-hunting compromise have reached a frenzy as delegates prepare for next week's meeting of the International Whaling Commission. So far Japan -- which has defied a moratorium on commercial whale hunts in place since 1986 -- has dismissed a compromise that would allow limited hunts if Japan ceases activity in the Antarctic. Google/The Associated Press (6/18) - China's energy plan puts economy before environment
Though similar debates are taking shape in China and the U.S. about their respective energy policies going forward, China's energy policy is centered much more around economic security -- with global climate change a secondary concern. China intends to tap its abundant coal resources in order to fuel its economic development, despite the consequences for the environment. Though China is concentrating growth in sustainable and clean energy sources, China's draft energy policy considers global energy markets, foreign investment and other factors that might incentivize clean development at the expense of using dirty energy like coal. The New York Times (free registration) (6/17) - Pictures of the activist as a young woman
For the 65th birthday of democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, the family of her late husband, Oxford scholar Michael Aris, has released pictures showing her as a young woman -- before she adopted a mission that would see her imprisoned in her home by junta authorities by 14 of the past 20 years. The photos reveal Suu Kyi during her engagement and as a young mother, living her life before the leader of the Burmese Democracy Movement was called to fight for freedom in Myanmar. The Guardian (London) (6/18) - Immigrants face "epidemic" kidnappings in Mexico
Beyond the threats of incarceration, heat and dehydration, illegal immigrants looking to trespass into the U.S. face dangers in the form of criminal gangs who rob, rape and kidnap immigrants -- sometimes with the help of corrupt police. Central American immigrants traveling through Mexico face discrimination and distrust from villagers, and strict laws protecting immigrants' rights are not enforced evenly. Detentions and deportations of illegal immigrants in Mexico have slowed as a result of the threat of criminal assaults as well as the stronger enforcement in the U.S. and the economic slowdown. The Washington Post (6/18)  | - Afghan officials boast mineral wealth, but instability looms
Despite the threat of war, corruption and state instability, mining countries worldwide are eager to exploit Afghanistan's mineral resources -- though the true value of those untapped mineral veins will ultimately depend on the degree to which extraction is possible. Afghan officials say that the worth of their mineral and industrial metal resources exceeds original U.S. estimates, putting the value as high as $3 trillion. The New York Times (free registration) (6/17) - Israel, UN press corps clash over raid videos
Israel and the United Nations Correspondents Association exchanged harsh words this week over the viewing of video shot by a passenger on an aid ship raided by Israeli forces May 31. Israel argued it should have been allowed the opportunity to screen a film of its own. UNCA officials countered an offer was made to Israeli authorities before the June 10 viewing. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (6/17)  | |  | | | | | | | | Executive Director | Cultural Survival | Cambridge, MA | | Deputy Program Director | Human Rights Watch | New York, NY | | Online Communications Senior Associate, Public Affairs Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Campaign Associate, Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Communications Associate, Public Affairs Girl Up Campaign | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Systems Administrator | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Pledge Guarantee for Health (PGH) Associate | United Nations Foundation (UNF)/Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | Managing Director, Thought Leadership | United Nations Foundation (UNF) / Better World Fund (BWF) | Washington, DC | | UNITED KINGDOM DIRECTOR | Human Rights Watch | London, United Kingdom | | | |  | |  | |
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| | | About UN WIRE | | UN Wire is a free service sponsored by the United Nations Foundation which is dedicated to supporting the United Nations' efforts to address the most pressing humanitarian, socioeconomic and environmental challenges facing the world today. | | | | | | | | Recent UN Wire Issues: - Thursday, June 17, 2010
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Gaps in testing of pigs in Asia and Latin America to follow up on the H1N1 pandemic increases chances the emergence of a dangerous mutated strain could go unnoticed, Hong Kong scientists warn in the journal Science. Pigs can catch both human and bird flus, and pass mutated versions back to humans. 
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