Les dynamiques du soutien et de la participation à l’extrémisme violent - Avril 2021
Les victimes engendrées par la violence armée au Mali ont été multipliées par quatre entre 2016 et 2019, et les jeunes sont parmi les plus touchés par la situation. Bien que de nombreuses initiatives aient été lancées pour prévenir et lutter contre l’extrémisme violent au Mali, il reste un manque de compréhension autour de l’interaction des facteurs qui conduisent les personnes –en particulier les jeunes– à soutenir l’extrémisme violent.
New report on Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery in the Republic of Moldova - April 2021
Organised crime produces significant amounts of illicit revenue and proceeds globally and in Europe. This report is part of the series of action oriented research on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) and Asset Recovery that the European Union and UNICRI are launching to shed light on the significant damage being caused to States as a result of unchecked IFFs, and on the significant value of prioritising the capture of illicitly-obtained assets linked to such IFFs.


Online, 5-9 July 2021
Application deadline: 20 June 2021
1. Entry Requirements
The Summer School is designed for final year in the undergraduate studies, masters students, PhD students as well as professionals who are interested in learning more about illicit trade.
The course is designed for university graduates in Law, Political Science, International Relations, Economics, Social Science and other relevant disciplines. It is also addressed to young professionals working in governmental institutions, local authorities, international and non-governmental organizations seeking to deepen their understanding of current food security issues. A very good working knowledge of English is required.
Applications from students who expect to graduate from their Bachelor’s studies at the end of the 2021/22 academic year will also be considered.
2. Course Methodology
This course is delivered online. It combines live webinars in our virtual classroom, led by subject matter experts, with self-paced activities and interactive group discussions.
The live webinars are from 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm CET time (9:00 am – 1:00 pm EST), from Monday to Friday. This is to create a 12-hours cycle during which participants and practitioners can attend the classes, plan their workload to a time that is most suitable, and interact with other participants to complete the assignments.
The live webinars are conducted on a dedicated online platform. Participants need a computer (recommended) or a mobile device with microphone, audio and video capabilities, as well as a reliable internet connection. We recommend accessing audio through the computer. No special software is required. Upon acceptance to the course, participants will be provided with the information to access the platform.
3. How to Apply
- Application deadline: please complete the application form by 20 June 2021. To apply visit the University of Groningen website.
- Confirmation of acceptance: the results of the selection process will be communicated via email, within 5 working days following receipt of the application, and no later than the 25 June 2021.
- Payment deadline: full payment has to be finalized within 1 week following confirmation of acceptance, and no later than 27 June 2021. Contact for the payment will go via the Office of the University of Groningen. For any questions on payments and for proof of payment, please email summerschools@rug.nl
4. Registration Fees
600 EUR
5. Cancellation and Refunds
As per our general policy, in the case of cancellation of your participation, registration fees will not be refunded for any reason.
Given the current exceptional circumstances, however, full refund of the registration fees will be guaranteed should the cancellation be linked to the COVID-19 crisis (i.e. health problems of the participant or spouse/registered partner/children or parents). Evidence of such ground should be provided when requesting the refund.
6. Certificate of Attendance
Upon attendance of all live webinars and completion of the course activities and assignments, participants will receive a United Nations and University of Groningen certificate of participation.
7. ECTS Equivalence
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants can apply for recognition of 5 ECTS to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. Participants who wish to fulfil the equivalent work of 5 ECTS will need to deliver a written assignment to the University of Groningen within one month after the end of the Summer School. More detailed information can be requested at illicittrade@rug.nl.
8. Contacts
Email: illicittrade@rug.nl and unicri.courses@un.org (please indicate “Illicit Trade Summer School” in the subject of the email)
Tel: +31 50 363 2901 / +31 628216256
Photo by: @Gerd Altmann
When the music stops

Since 2012, Mali has faced significant instability, increasing episodes of violence and ongoing tensions generated by separate but interlinked issues, including scarcity of resources, longstanding intercommunal tensions, poor governance and weak provision of services. In such a context, various armed and terrorist groups have established their presence in Mali, initially in the north of the country but with a clear shift towards the centre and the south in recent years.
Stop the virus of disinformation: the malicious use of social media by terrorist, violent extremist and criminal groups during the COVID-19 pandemic - November 2020

Risks and technology options
The Report describes how terrorist, violent extremist and organized criminal groups are trying to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to expand their activities and jeopardize the efficacy and credibility of response measures by governments.
The COVID-19 crisis has amplified misinformation and disinformation on social media and has created new opportunities for violent non-state actors.
Many hands on an elephant.- November 2020

COVID-19: The day we discovered our fragility and our strength - New issue of the Magazine Freedom From Fear (F3) - October 2020

“This issue of the Magazine Freedom From Fear (F3) The day we discovered our fragility and our strength addresses the collateral effects of COVID-19 impacting criminal justice, namely, the growing influence of organized crime and terrorism and the rise of violence against and exploitation of women and children. I wish to commend all the authors and the Ghent University for exhibiting their commitment to research and innovation during these challenging times.
Artificial Intelligence Collection - August 2020
The potential of the Artificial Intelligence for law enforcement, legal professionals, the court system and even the penal system to augment human capabilities is enormous. However, we need to truly test the limits of our creativity and innovation to overcome the challenges that come with these technologies, as well as to develop entirely new approaches, standards and metrics that will be necessitated by them.