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Organizational arrangements The General Assembly will convene a special session on the world drug problem from 19 to 21 April 2016 at UN Headquarters in New York, in accordance with its resolutions 67/193 of 20 December 2012, 69/200 of 18 December 2014 and 70/181 of 17 December 2015. [Information on organizational arrangements

2015 was a year fraught with humanitarian and natural disasters: unprecedented rising temperatures, Ebola, the refugee crisis, economic instability – just to name a few. It was also a year marked by amazing acts of courage, kindness, and collaborations and contributions made by people and organizations from all facets of society, not least the scientific research community. We asked our editorial boards to pick one article from their journal, published in 2015, that addresses the world’s most pressing challenges. We were delighted to receive feedback from more than 100 journals and present to you ground-breaking articles that have the potential to Change the World! Read all 100+ ground-breaking articles chosen by Springer Editors-in-Chief: » Earth and Environmental Sciences » Life Sciences and Biomedicine » Medicine and Public Health » Social Sciences, Psychology, Education, Philosophy » Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Engineering, Materials » Business & Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Sciences Those articles which are already open access are freely available online on a permanent basis and all other articles have been made freely available until 15 July 2016.

Monday 11th - Thursday 14th April 2016 The UCL JDI Crime Analysis course offers the essential skills that an analyst requires to become pro-actively involved in information-driven, evidence-based, problem solving approaches to reducing crime, ASB and other community safety issues. The course is highly interactive, and is designed to improve an analyst’s awareness of data that are available across a range of agencies for analysis, extend their skills in analytical techniques, and build their confidence in ensuring that analysis is used to influence decision-making. The course is suitable for the analysis of all types of volume crime (e.g., burglary, violent crime, theft), serious crime (e.g., child sexual exploitation, sexual assaults), organised crime, cybercrime, road traffic accidents (e.g., bicycle collisions and cyclist fatalities) and all other types of incidents relating to crime and ASB (examples from previous courses have included counterfeit goods, illegal imports, youth cannabis use, repeat callers, and problem families). The course places great emphasis on helping analysts to develop good quality problem profiles and target profiles.

New Cambridge ‘crime harm index’ published today quantifies true cost of crime: damage caused to victims and society. Experts call on UK government to adopt low-cost metric for greater transparency of crime trends and risks. Some UK forces have already used approach with early successes in identifying ‘harm spots’.

A preliminary program is now available on the symposium website. You will be able to listen to around 200 speakers who will present their research and experiences in around 50 sessions.

The global chorus of concern about rising inequality seems focused on the accumulation of wealth at the very top. While this is a serious problem requiring urgent attention, it can distract attention from the devastating, and arguably more dangerous dynamics of inequality at the bottom of the distribution. This is where inequality seriously diminishes the life chances of the most vulnerable children, now and in the future. When we turn our attention to “bottom-end” inequality – the gap between the lowest 10 per cent and the median – we get a picture of how the most disadvantaged in society are falling further away from the promise of a decent life in the middle. Here is where UNICEF’s 13th Innocenti Report Card: Fairness for Children is urging political leaders in the industrialized world to turn their attention. The message is stark: as inequality increases, wealthy nations of the world are failing their children at the bottom. Those with the least ability to narrow the gaps are being allowed to fall further behind. In about half the rich countries of the world more than 10 per cent of children at the bottom have access to less than 50 per cent of the mid-level income. In 3 out of 4 rich countries bottom end income gaps have remained stagnant or widened since 2008. Each Report Card creates an important moment when UNICEF turns its attention to vulnerable children in the developed world. It’s League Tables tally up performance and deliver grades to 41 EU and OECD countries. Call it a gimmick, often it focuses powerful minds on children, fast. But rankings also accomplish a more substantial task. They allow us to compare where countries have fared well or poorly, and this underscores the truth that child inequality is not inevitable, but policy susceptible. When children go without they absorb damage immediately but the effects can resonate across their lives. Differences based on merit cannot reasonably be defended as the social and economic circumstances children face are beyond their control. No child should be allowed to suffer inequities in early years that can undermine lifelong well-being. By looking at inequality solely through the lens of income, other critical dimensions of child well-being can be missed. In addition to income, Fairness for Children tracks how far children at the bottom are falling behind their peers in educational attainment, self-reported health and life satisfaction. This comprehensive approach essentially creates a 3D image of inequality. A necessary step, as it is quite possible for a child to live in a home with income at or above the median yet have educational achievement, for example, far below the median. This is precisely the case for children in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and France. The big message from Fairness for Children is the fight against growing inequality should also include strategies to push the bottom 10 per cent upward. More than just a good sense approach to increasing consumption capacity, this is the best way to protect all children from the consequences of inequity. The bottom up approach may also be the most cost effective way to fight the worst ravages of inequality. As Fairness for Children outlines, the most effective strategies involve simple, low-cost measures such as targeting social support to the poorest homes, making schools more supportive, encouraging healthy lifestyles and taking children’s sense of their own life satisfaction seriously.

Hosted by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and the Vera Institute of Justice Register for this webinarDate: Thursday, April 28 Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. EST "Millions of Americans—a disproportionate number of whom are people of color—have criminal records that can be a barrier to housing. In celebration of National Reentry Week, the Shriver Center and the Vera Institute of Justice will host a webinar on fair housing rights for people with criminal records. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued groundbreaking guidance stating that admission denials, evictions, and other adverse housing decisions based on a person’s criminal record may constitute racial discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Featuring the head of HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing, this webinar will give an overview of recent guidance issued by HUD, including the Shriver Center’s 2015 report that HUD offered as a resource to public housing authorities. It will also cover examples of best practices across the country, such as a pilot program to reunite families in New York City and an innovative way of screening in New Orleans."

Hosted by National Reentry Resource Center with funding support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance Register for this webinarWhen: Wednesday, May 4 Time: 2–3:30 p.m. ET In this webinar, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National Reentry Resource Center will explain the Second Chance Act (SCA) Smart Reentry Solicitation and how state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribal governments can apply for funding. BJA’s “Smart Suite” of programs, which includes the Smart Reentry Program, invests in the development of practitioner-researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to help create effective criminal justice strategies and interventions. Having a data-driven approach can enable jurisdictions to understand the full nature and extent of the criminal justice challenges they face and prioritize their resources.

SUPPORTING STATES’ IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW ACUNS is accepting applications for a fully-funded* study opportunity Essential Information Where: O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India When: October 1-12, 2016 Application Deadline: Monday, May 9, 2016 Download the Workshop Flyer *The selected participants will receive lowest-cost economy class return air travel between their location and the workshop site, accommodations and some meals for the duration of the workshop. Program Theme & Policy Relevance In the famous expression of Louis Henkin, “almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost all of their obligations almost all of the time” (Louis Henkin, How Nations Behave 1979). Governments comply with international law not simply – or even primarily – because of the threat of sanctions, but for many other reasons: because they consider compliance to be in their national interests; they think this is the moral thing to do; they want to maintain friendly relations with other states; and because they don’t like to be the subject of international criticism for failing to do so. When states do not comply with international law, this might not be because of malign intentions and bad faith, but also because of lack of information or lack of capacity to comply. How can or should other states and the international community deal with governments of states that are willing, but unable to comply? What facilitation mechanisms and processes, what forms of support and incentive, can be envisaged to assist and encourage states in the implementation of international law? At the ACUNS 2016 Workshop on International Organization Studies, ACUNS and Jindal Global University look forward to engaging with young scholars and practitioners on identifying and defining the limitations of imposing sanctions, and whether facilitating the implementation of international law through specific measures and mechanisms may offer an alternative model. Learning Objectives Participants in the workshop will gain scholarly and practice-based knowledge and applied skills in the analysis of a number of issue areas related to the workshop theme. In some measure, the specific issue areas will be determined by the research proposals of the selected participants, but more broadly the themes and skill-sets to be addressed may be anticipated to include (but not be limited to): • Achieving strategic coherence between the political, security, development and human rights dimensions of peace operations; • Managing and balancing the roles and interests of actors at the local, national, regional and global levels, including intergovernmental, non-governmental, and civil society parties, and across military and civilian policy sectors; • The current state of knowledge regarding ideas and norms, policies, doctrine and practices, strengths and deficiencies, needs and resources, and ‘lessons learned’ related to UN peacekeeping and Special Political Missions; • Identifying and reflecting upon the ‘lessons learned’ from the sharing of innovative proposals, ideas, and practices, between and among the next generation of scholars and practitioners, and how these best might be used to promote positive policy outcomes. Workshop Benefits Through presentations by young scholars and practitioners (that is you!), case studies, guided research, special lectures and innovative pedagogies geared towards post-graduate level professionals, this workshop will encourage participants to improve their own skills and capacities for engaging constructively at different stages and in varying environments in the complex but critical areas of scholarship and practice in contemporary global peace operations. Application Procedure Scholars in international relations and international law, and from other fields relevant to the workshop e.g. development, international public policy; and practitioners from NGOs and government institutions in all countries are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Monday, May 9, 2016, and must include all of the following: • A brief (~1,000 words) statement of research interests apropos of the workshop themes • Your curriculum vitae • One letter of reference • Application Form

Operating across a variety of countries and utilizing a range of legal and illegal methods, migrant smuggling generates thousands of dollars for criminal organizations, who profit from people's vulnerability. UNODC's office in Mexico recently presented its latest awareness raising campaign on this crime - #ADeadlyBusiness.