United Nations Office Research Articles

Comprehensive evaluation of the toxicological effects of commonly encountered synthetic cathinones using in silico methods.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs), a group of new psychoactive substances (NPS), are designer molecules with hallucinogenic and psychostimulatory effects. Although the structural similarities of SCs to amphetamines suggest that they may have similar toxicity profiles to those of amphetamine congeners, little is known about SCs from a toxicological point of view. In the present study, the toxicity profiles of commonly encountered SCs (n = 65), listed in the 2020 Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), were evaluated using in silico methods. We aimed to gain a deeper understanding of key toxicological endpoints: acute oral toxicity (LD50), mutagenicity, genotoxicity, and carcinogenicity prediction using EPA TEST (v.5.1.2 and 4.2.1), VEGA (v.1.2.3), and ProTox (v.3.0). Physicochemical and pharmacokinetic (ADME) properties were estimated using SwissADME and pkCSM. 2,3-MDMC (41) was predicted to be the most lethal SC by the VEGA KNN and the EPA TEST v.5.1.2 with an oral rat LD50 value of 105.17 and 117.77mg/kg, respectively. 4-BEC (2) was the only molecule with a consensus score of positive prediction greater than 0.90 in both TEST mutagenicity models. 2,3-MDMC (41) and methylone (52) were predicted as carcinogenic by VEGA carcinogenicity CAESAR, ISS, IRFMN-ISSCAN-CGX, oral classification, and ProTox models. These two SCs were predicted to be active by VEGA chromosomal aberration (CORAL) and in vitro micronuclei-inducing activity (IRFMN-VERMEER) models. Our results concluded that given the prolonged exposure duration and age range, the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of SCs should be considered, among other known toxic effects.

Envisioning A Resilient Pakistan Gender, Intersectionality And Disaster Risk Reduction

According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), approximately 90% of climate-related deaths occur in poorer/developing countries, underscoring the urgent need for effective adaptation and risk reduction efforts (UNDRR, 2021). Adversities of climate change in Pakistan—a nation in south Asia with ~241 million people—are not a news now! Pakistan, frequently hit by several natural hazards including floods, droughts, earthquakes, and extreme heatwaves, is a country that is highly vulnerable to various disasters (Khoshnazar et al., 2023). The country's geographical diversity also contributes to its vulnerability to natural hazards. Consequently, the nation is often cited to be among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, frequently experiencing devastating damages in terms of social impacts, economic adversities, and long-lasting infrastructural disruptions. For instance, the catastrophic floods of 2022 displaced millions and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods across Pakistan (Akhtar et al., 2023). Historical events, including the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods, have further exposed systemic vulnerabilities in disaster preparedness and response in Pakistan.

Digital technologies in the global humanitarian sector: A case study of Ukraine

A critical approach regarding the potential for side effects associated with the use of digital technologies in the humanitarian sector as well as identifying potential risk factors arising from their “experimental” or “hasty” and unstructured use of the technologies in crises, finds real justification and is recommended by the humanitarian community, and notably the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Based on a literature review, reports containing data on humanitarian sector, as well as interviews with humanitarian practitioners, the phenomena occurring at the interface between humanitarian space and new technologies and their associated risks were analysed. The paper identifies critical, unresolved gaps in the legal, management and ethical frameworks of digital humanitarianism, among others accountability issues that have traditionally regulated the professional conduct of operations in this sector. It also presents the phenomena emerging in the context of response to the crisis situation in Ukraine. The Ukrainian case study, by bringing new digital experiences to the sector, will probably contribute to enriching the “learning” process of humanitarian agencies for similar emergencies in the future.

Optimization of the quantification of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol methodology by High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Cannabinoids are terpenophenolic compounds obtained from the species Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae), which is worldwide distributed across multiple varieties. The concentration of each cannabinoid in a cannabis plant is closely related to the variety. There are specimens in which higher yields of one specific cannabinoid are found than the remaining cannabinoids. International organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, recommend the application of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography as an analytical method for the quantification of cannabinoids. In the present work, the different variables that influence a chromatographic analysis such as temperature, sample pH, elution flow and wavelength have been evaluated and the chromatographic conditions for the analytical quantification of the metabolites cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol have been standardized.

No Longer Invisible

This paper discusses non-State torture families that organize the sexualized trafficking and exploitation of their girl child to their network of like-minded individuals and groups. They have eluded being identified in the extensive research that informs the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2014) by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This means the trafficked and tortured girl child has been absent from the profile of trafficked children. Understanding the girl child’s position of vulnerability and complex relational victimization and traumatisation responses to being tortured, trafficked, and exploited is essential to recommending interventions that address socio-legal and knowledge gaps and promote the dignity and human rights of the girl child.

The State of the Art in Post-Mortem Redistribution and Stability of New Psychoactive Substances in Fatal Cases: A Review of the Literature

In post-mortem (PM) investigations, forensic toxicologists attempt to identify legal or illegal substances present before death and determine how they contributed to the cause of death. A critical challenge is ensuring that PM sample concentrations accurately reflect those at the time of death, as postmortem redistribution (PMR) can alter these levels due to anatomical and physiological changes. The PMR phenomenon is called a ‘toxicological nightmare’. PMR significantly affects post-mortem drug concentrations, particularly for lipophilic drugs and those with a high volume of distribution. The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) has led to a growing recognition of their role as a significant public health concern, frequently associated with fatalities related to polydrug use. These substances are renowned for their ability to induce intoxication at low doses, which has led to the continuous updating of toxicological and forensic methods to improve detection and adopt new analytical standards. The comprehensive detection of NPS metabolites, some of which are still undiscovered, presents an additional analytical challenge, as do their metabolic pathways. This complicates their identification in fatal cases using standard analytical methods, potentially leading to an underestimation of their actual prevalence in toxicological results. Furthermore, the interpretation of analytical results is hindered by the absence of data on PM blood levels and the specific contributions of NPS to causes of death, exacerbated by the lack of knowledge of whether the PMR phenomenon influences them. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature on post-mortem cases involving various NPS, categorized according to classifications by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). These categories include cathinones, phenylethylamines, arylalkylamines, phencyclidine-type substances, phenmetrazines, piperazines, phenidates, aminoindanes, LSD-like NPSs, tryptamines, fentanyl analogs, designer benzodiazepines, synthetic cannabinoids, and nitazenes. This review covers not only postmortem blood levels but also the stability of the substances studied, the methods of analysis, and attempts to shed some light on the PMR phenomenon. This review used various key terms, such as PMR, NPS, and the names of previously categorized substances and drug analyses across multiple peer-reviewed journals and databases, including Scopus, Google Schoolar, Springer, PubMed, and Wiley Online Library. In addition, references from retrieved articles were examined to identify additional relevant research. Interpreting post-mortem toxicological results is complex and lacks definitive guidelines, requiring a nuanced understanding of its challenges and potential pitfalls. As a result, post-mortem toxicology is often regarded as an art. The primary aim of this review is to provide forensic toxicologists with a comprehensive framework to assist in the evaluation and interpretation of NPS analysis. This guide is intended to complement the existing knowledge and practices applied in forensic laboratories within the toxicological analysis of post-mortem cases.

Development and Validation of a Method for Detecting and Quantifying Mitragynine in Kratom Samples Using HPLC-PDA

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa Korth) has been identified as a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and included in the list of prohibited ingredients in food supplements and traditional medicine by Indonesian FDA. Therefore, a rapid, easy, and reliable analytical method is necessary to detect and quantify this plant and its products. This study developed a method for the detection and quantification of kratom products based on a unique compound, mitragynine, as a biomarker. A previous survey of determining mitragynine in Kratom using GC-MS, LC-MS/MS, UPLC, and HPLC-PDA. Previously, the HPLC-PDA method used a C8 column. Yet, for efficiency, it is also necessary to develop a test method using a C18 column. Analysis was performed using an HPLC - PDA system with Waters Atlantis T3-C18 (250 x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column. The mobile phase comprises acetonitrile and formic acid 0.05%, pH 5.0 (75:25 v/v), delivered at a 1.0 mL/min flow rate. Detection was carried out at a wavelength of 225 nm. The analytical method was validated with test parameters of selectivity, system suitability, accuracy, precision, linearity, detection limit, and quantification limit. The validation study demonstrated an excellent linear concentration range of 1.96 - 6.01 µg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996; the detection limit is 0.14 µg/mL, while the limit of quantification is 0.45 µg/mL—accuracy method of 98.88 - 101.44% and a bias of 0.27%. The percent relative standard deviation for six independent assay determinations was 0.67%, and the intermediate precision was 1.56% on two days. The mitragynine amounts in these materials ranged from 6.01 to 6.31 mg/g of dried leaf material. Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the method developed provides quick, simple, reliable, accurate, and valid, and has an advantage over existing methods in terms of simplicity of sample preparation, short analysis time, and cost-effectiveness compared to GCMS and LCMS/MS and can be applied for future analysis in Kratom samples.

Integrated understanding of climate change and disaster risk for building resilience of cultural heritage sites

AbstractHeritage assets are vulnerable to climate change and disaster risks. However, existing literature has long been separating climate change from disaster risks, which were mainly considered as natural disasters. Recently, the framework of integrated understanding of climate change and disaster risk reduction in international policies started to be discussed in sustainable development discussion, while mentioning opportunities to build resilience of cultural heritage sites (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020). But this framework is yet to be implemented and detailed in the context of heritage sites. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyze how the integrated understanding of climate change and disaster risk reduction policies can contribute to building climate resilience of cultural heritage sites by reviewing the key themes emerging from the literature. The question this paper answers are how can the integrated understanding of climate change and disaster risks reduction tackle barriers to the resilience of heritage sites? And what can be done to fill the gaps identified in the literature? To understand it, four elements from the literature are analyzed, including methodological contributions, temporalities, challenges and gaps, and opportunities. The findings of this review help in understanding the gap and interplay between science and policy in decision-making processes. We conclude by discussing the ways forward for the applicability of the framework in building resilience of cultural heritage sites.

Investigating the Interrelationship between the Desire for a Cohesive Community and Opioid Abuse: A Neuropsychological Study of Demon Copperhead

Abstract Foregrounding the increasing global crisis of opioids as the “leading cause of deaths in fatal overdoses,” the World Drug Report 2023, published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), mentioned that in 2021 more than 80,000 people died due to opioid overdose in the United States of America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health protection agency in the United States, has reported that “the predicted number of drug overdose deaths showed an increase of 0.5% from the 12 months ending in December 2021 to the 12 months ending in December 2022, from 109,179 to 179,680” (“Provisional Data”). Although the trajectory of opioid use disorders (OUDs) has affected different sociodemographic groups in the country since its first wave in the 1990s, teenagers in poverty-stricken rural areas are more vulnerable to such addiction (Keyes et al.). Poor parental guidance, impoverishment, troubled childhoods, detrimental familial structure, scarce opportunities, and accessibility to opioids are often considered to be the primary risk factors for unprivileged teenagers to develop a psychic reliance on opioids for engendering a perpetual sense of contentment. According to the incentive sensitization theory, the persistent desire to transcend physical and psychical limitations for a sense of relief, triggered by chronic drug misuse, often evokes a sense of “wanting” or incentive salience, a compulsive inclination towards drug-associated stimuli (Berridge and Robinson, “Drug Addiction” 22). This intense desire of “wanting” often generates a perpetual sensitization of the mesolimbic systems in the brain which is also activated by mental representations of drug-associated cues (Robinson and Berridge 3139). Focusing on drug-induced changes in the brain such as hypersensitization and neuroadaptation, this study analyzes Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, a modern reimagining of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. The selected text addresses primarily some pertinent socio-political crises, such as the poor foster care system, poverty, and the engrossing opioid endemic in Southern Appalachia. However, this study attempts to analyze the precarious state of some characters, who become addicted to opioids seeking recognition from peer groups and perpetual psychic stability, in the selected text from a neuropsychological perspective.

Why Are Community-Based Early Warning Systems Inadequate? A Case Study of the Licungo River Basin, in Mozambique

This study examined the effective implementation of a community-based early warning System (CBEWS) as an early evacuation tool in at-risk communities in the Licungo River Basin Mozambique. Using the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) framework, this study evaluated the effectiveness of the CBEWS, focusing on the identification of factors that impede its functionality. The research employed a qualitative approach, conducting one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders at the national, provincial, and district levels, and group discussions with community members in the Licungo River Basin. Interviews and group discussions were conducted in Portuguese and Echuabo, facilitated by a local translator, and included a diverse representation of community members and leaders. The results revealed that the four pillars of the UNDRR framework - risk knowledge, monitoring and warning, communication and dissemination, and response capacity - lacked interdependence, resulting in the CBEWS failing to effectively facilitate early evacuation. Specifically, the study identified several critical factors: a lack of trust in the early warning system, inadequate monitoring and warning systems, communication challenges, and insufficient response resources. Additionally, the lack of social capital significantly affected community members’ willingness to implement and respond to CBEWS warnings and voluntarily evacuate. These findings highlight the need to address social capital and use incentive-based approaches to enhance the effectiveness of the CBEWS. Therefore, promoting strategies that strengthen social capital and incorporate incentives is essential to ensure community engagement and effective evacuation.

Effectuating international law against corruption: Behavioral insights

Abstract International law against corruption is mainly based on individualized criminalization and deterrence, including legal persons. Implicitly, since corruption is a white-collar crime, the conventions assume self-interested rational actors. That was the state-of-the-art thinking when the international conventions against corruption were developed around the turn of the millennium. This is the correct starting point but has failed to deliver the expected results. The United Nations (UN) has turned to behavioral science but the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is lagging behind and behavioral approaches have played a minor role. I submit that they can enrich the set of instruments by using (social)psychological insights. This article discusses additional tools based on behavioral insights and new social science methods used to gain a more holistic understanding of corruption. It makes concrete substantive and institutional suggestions for fighting corruption which could be taken up by UNODC and in international (soft) law. It also discusses the limitations.

Structure-Activity Relationship of Synthetic Cathinones: An Updated Review.

The escalating prevalence of new psychoactive substances (NPSs) poses a significant public health challenge, evidenced by the vast chemical diversity, with over 500 substances reported annually to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime-Early Warning Advisory (UNODC-EWA) in the past five years. Among NPSs, synthetic cathinones are gaining a lot of popularity among users. Notably, synthetic cathinones accounted for approximately 50% of the total quantity of NPSs reported as seized by EU Member States in 2021. Preliminary data from UNODC indicates that a total of 209 synthetic cathinones have been reported to date. As their popularity grows, studying the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of synthetic cathinones is essential. SAR studies elucidate how structural features impact biological effects, aiding in toxicity prediction, regulatory compliance, and forensic identification. Additionally, SAR studies play a pivotal role in guiding drug policies, aiding authorities in categorizing and regulating newly emerging synthetic cathinones, mitigate public health risks and offer valuable insights into potential therapeutic applications. Thus, our Review consolidates recent findings on the effects of different substitutions in the chemical scaffold of synthetic cathinones on their mechanism of action as well as pharmacological and toxicological effects of synthetic cathinones, thus enhancing understanding of the SAR of synthetic cathinones' pharmacology and potential implications.

Study on the Prototype of Platform Tools and Practice Related to the “Sustainability Scoring Index” for Disaster Resilience of Local Governments in Japan

With the intensification and rising frequency of disasters in recent years, implementing disaster preparedness measures has become increasingly important. However, local governments must be prepared for disasters, with their limited resources of personnel and budget, to make the redressal plans relevant for facing problems such as population decline. This study aims to enhance resilience in the field of disaster management by facilitating identification of problems in the disaster management plan of local governments, and promotion of mutual understanding among those involved. For this purpose, a tool has been developed to evaluate local disaster management measures from the viewpoints of both local governments and residents, and to promote smooth communication and coordination among the stakeholders. A questionnaire survey was conducted using an index for self-assessment by local government officials, which was formulated based on the literature of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Based on the survey results, the elements of resilience were classified into three groups depicting the abilities to collaborate and organize, adapt to the environment, and manage for the next generation. The evaluation was conducted in four local governments. In two regions, the residents’ awareness and preparedness for a disaster were surveyed. The survey results revealed that the questionnaire should be improved; nevertheless, the authors were able to identify the problems of local governments and the fields that the residents do not know sufficiently about. The results indicate the possibility to apply this method in other regions in the future.

Qatar's multifaceted humanitarian role in Afghanistan since August 2021

AbstractMotivationQatar's humanitarian role in Afghanistan, a less‐explored example of a non‐traditional actor, is crucial in understanding international responses to geopolitical crises. Examining Qatar's involvement provides insights into the complex dynamics of humanitarian assistance, diplomatic efforts, and post‐crisis challenges.PurposeThe study examines Qatar's multifaceted role in Afghanistan since 2021, highlighting its impact as a non‐traditional actor in complex humanitarian operations and diplomacy.Approach and methodsThe research combines a desk review of online sources, academic literature, reports, non‐governmental organization documents, and media articles with first‐hand observations and informal stakeholder interviews. It also analyses international aid statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Financial Tracking Service and the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee.FindingsQatar emerged as a key humanitarian player in Afghanistan, adopting a whole‐of‐society approach. Its efforts encompassed emergency relief, evacuations, educational support, and humanitarian diplomacy, effectively bridging the Taliban with international actors after the takeover.Policy implicationsThis research highlights the impactful role of non‐traditional donors, as seen with Qatar in Afghanistan, emphasizing their potential in complex humanitarian scenarios. The study advocates recognizing and leveraging the unique capabilities of smaller states and non‐traditional actors in humanitarian responses, promoting capacity building to harness their institutional agility and societal resources effectively.

Morphometrics and Phylogenomics of Coca (Erythroxylum spp.) Illuminate Its Reticulate Evolution, With Implications for Taxonomy.

South American coca (Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense) has been a keystone crop for many Andean and Amazonian communities for at least 8,000 years. However, over the last half-century, global demand for its alkaloid cocaine has driven intensive agriculture of this plant and placed it in the center of armed conflict and deforestation. To monitor the changing landscape of coca plantations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime collects annual data on their areas of cultivation. However, attempts to delineate areas in which different varieties are grown have failed due to limitations around identification. In the absence of flowers, identification relies on leaf morphology, yet the extent to which this is reflected in taxonomy is uncertain. Here, we analyze the consistency of the current naming system of coca and its four closest wild relatives (the "coca clade"), using morphometrics, phylogenomics, molecular clocks, and population genomics. We include name-bearing type specimens of coca's closest wild relatives E. gracilipes and E. cataractarum. Morphometrics of 342 digitized herbarium specimens show that leaf shape and size fail to reliably discriminate between species and varieties. However, the statistical analyses illuminate that rounder and more obovate leaves of certain varieties could be associated with the subtle domestication syndrome of coca. Our phylogenomic data indicate extensive gene flow involving E. gracilipes which, combined with morphometrics, supports E. gracilipes being retained as a single species. Establishing a robust evolutionary-taxonomic framework for the coca clade will facilitate the development of cost-effective genotyping methods to support reliable identification.

UNODC ACTIVITIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT ARMS TRAFFICKING

The article analyzes the activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the field of combating illegal arms trafficking, which is allocated as part of a separate program. The author analyzes the initiatives of UNODC in this area and specific actions taken to reduce the crime rate associated with illegal arms trafficking. The positive aspects of the UNODC initiative in the form of a Global Firearms Program are being considered, and a study of the results provided within the framework of the designated program is being conducted. The main international documents regulating the legal circulation of weapons are characterized. Special attention is paid to the interaction of the Department with states to prevent criminals from getting weapons, and a number of problems in this area are highlighted. The interaction of UNODC with international law enforcement organizations is analyzed and the effectiveness of this cooperation is evaluated, examples of joint operations and trends in the development of relations are considered. The Department’s active work is noted in terms of compiling and providing training courses for law enforcement agencies. In addition, the study identifies a number of problems and difficulties faced by UNODC in implementing its objectives and achieving goals related to reducing the adverse effects of such a phenomenon as illegal arms trafficking.

Optimization of the solvent system used to prepare cannabis inflorescence samples for cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol quantification using D-optimal design

The solvent most commonly used to prepare cannabis inflorescence samples is a mixture of methanol and chloroform (9:1), which poses a health hazard. This study aimed to develop a solvent system that maximizes the extraction of two major cannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), with superior performance to conventional solvents. The cannabinoid content was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The stability of these two cannabinoids in the optimal solvent system was also evaluated. The volume ratios of acetonitrile, methanol, and water were varied for extracting cannabinoids from two cannabis cultivars, Hang Kra Rog Phu Phan and Charlotte’s Angel, based on a D-optimal design. The solvent system developed in this study showed superior extraction efficiency to acetonitrile, as specified in the Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia, and the methanol:chloroform mixture (9:1), as specified in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime manual. The optimal solvent system that provided the highest cannabinoid content consisted of acetonitrile, methanol, and water at a volume ratio of 0.511:0.289:0.200. This solvent system could extract 0.141 % ± 0.023 % of CBD and 3.255 % ± 0.511 % of Δ9-THC from the Hang Kra Rog Phu Phan cultivar, and 2.120 % ± 0.143 % of CBD and 3.813 % ± 0.219 % of Δ9-THC from the Charlotte’s Angel cultivar. The stability of cannabinoids in the optimal solvent system was comparable to that of the methanol:chloroform mixture (9:1) but superior to acetonitrile when stored at 4 °C and − 20 °C for 28 days. In summary, the optimal solvent system developed in this study is less toxic than existing systems and can be valuable for extracting cannabinoids from cannabis during inflorescence sample preparation for analyzing their content.

DRR pioneers: interview with Ben Wisner

PurposeThe transcript provides an overview of the development of the field and changing paradigms in this regard.Design/methodology/approachThe transcript was developed in the context of a United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) project on the history of disaster risk reduction (DRR).FindingsThe transcript traces the initial discussions of how the At Risk book was conceived and presents new dimensions and challenges within the field.Originality/valueThe interview highlights the importance of the need to document the transitions, developments and paradigm changes in the field over time.

Social Inclusion and Justice for the Internally Displaced by the Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict in Benue State, Nigeria

Executive Summary Herdsmen-farmers conflict has displaced 1.5 million residents of Benue State, Nigeria, according to government officials. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) have lost livelihoods, farms, personal property and community infrastructure. The paper highlights the social challenges they have experienced and the response by government and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) to their situations. Based on interviews with 12 IDPs belonging to the displaced population from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and interviews with seven humanitarian workers, the paper finds that the IDPs: • Have lost family members, neighbors, farms, churches, health centers, and means of mobility. • Cannot safely return home or access their ancestral lands. • Cannot support themselves. • Cannot attend public school or progress to a university. • Lack access to quality health care. • Live with multiple families in insecure shelters. • Cannot reliably obtain birth registration and replace other destroyed documents. • Can register their names, family relations, and former villages, but not their losses, which might lead to compensation and help them to rebuild their lives. The paper makes the following recommendations. • Registration, Effective Remedies and Access to Justice: The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs (FMHA) and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) should document personal and community socio-economic losses to ascertain the extent of damage to IDPs in order to facilitate effective remedies. The Ministries of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and UNHCR should support the IDPs by providing them with information and procedures that allow them to secure full compensation for their losses, and with safe, permanent solutions to their situations, including full integration into their host communities, safe and voluntary return home, or resettlement in a third community. • Engage IDPs as Stakeholders: The Benue State Government should ensure that BSEMA communicates to IDPs the possibilities for voluntary and dignified safe return. If return is not immediately foreseeable, BSEMA should offer IDPs the means to relocate and resettle elsewhere. • Provision of Sustainable Social Amenities: BSEMA, the FMHA, and international humanitarian agencies (IHAs) should provide sustainable healthcare, shelter, education in IDP camps, financial assistance and the means to access services outside of IDP camps. • Peace through Establishment of Ranches: Benue State Government’s Peace Commission should resolve the herdsmen-farmer conflict and restore peace by promoting peaceful co-existence between the conflicting parties. Herdsmen should be educated on the procedures for legal land acquisition for ranching, and farmers should be able to seek legal redress when their farms are damaged by grazing cattle. BSEMA and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs should also facilitate voluntary, safe and dignified return of IDPs or their resettlement in another community. • Safeguard IDP Camps: BSEMA and the Nigeria security agencies should safeguard official and unofficial IDP camps. • Inclusive Policy Implementation: The FMHA in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) should develop humanitarian response plans that are beneficial to all IDPs in Nigeria irrespective of the cause of their displacement.

Global and Regional Estimates of Female Intimate Partner and Family-Related Homicide

Based on national data collected by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) from 105 countries and territories, this study estimates that nearly 49,000 women and girls worldwide were killed by their intimate partners or other family members in 2022. Using annual data from the Americas and Europe as well as monthly data from 14 countries in various regions, the study also shows that regional and national trends in female intimate partner/family-related homicide were highly heterogeneous during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. UNODC produces global and regional estimates of female intimate partner and family-related homicide to shed light on the magnitude of the problem and to inform advocacy, policies, and programs to end such killings.