The Lid is On United Nations

The Haitian economy may be on its knees, but the gangs that control much of the capital Port-au-Prince seem to have little trouble obtaining guns, mainly from the USA.
The country is awash with weapons: according to experts convened by the UN Secretary-General, these “deadly arsenals” mean that gangs have “firepower that exceeds that of the Haitian national police,” and the problem is getting worse.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has reported an increase in the trafficking of increasingly powerful and sophisticated weapons into the country since 2021, such as AK47, AR15 and Galil rifles. 
Sylvie Bertrand is the UNODC Regional Representative for Central America and the Caribbean and oversees the research teams tasked with documenting the sources, routes and distribution patterns of the illicit firearms fuelling violence in Haiti.
She spoke to Felipe de Carvalho from UN News about UNODC strategies to make a significant dent in the flow of arms to the beleaguered country.

April 7 marks three decades since the beginning of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. An almost unimaginable slaughter, which saw an estimated 800,000 people killed in just 100 days, and shocked the world.
Eric Eugene Murangwa was a football at the time, playing for Rayon Sports, one of the top teams in the country, based in the capital Kigali.
As a Tutsi, he was in extreme danger when the genocide began. But, despite being well know, he managed to survive, despite the attempts to kill as many Tutsis as possible. He says that football saved his life.
Thirty years on, Eric is living in the UK, working as a genocide education campaigner, and an advocate for sport for development and peace. He shares his extraordinary story of survival with Conor Lennon from UN News.

Now in its thirteenth year, the war in Syria shows no signs of letting up, and several foreign powers are active in the country, including Russia, the US, Turkey and Israel, which has stepped up its bombardments since the 7 October Hamas attacks. 
The latest report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry details a marked escalation of violence, over the last six months, and outlines the disastrous consequences for the civilian population: around 13 million have been forced from their homes, and 90 per cent are living poverty. 
Conor Lennon from UN News asked Hanny Megally, the Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, and a member of the Commission of Inquiry, about the different forces involved in Syria, and the worrying resurgence of the ISIL terror group.

This episode of The Lid Is On focuses on cutting edge online technology, and the UN’s role in making sure that it benefits humanity, rather than causing us harm.
Proponents of AI point to the immense benefits these tools could bring to society, but the clamour for robust regulation of AI is growing louder. Similarly, the car industry is forging ahead with plans to ramp up autonomous driving technology, promising a safer future on the roads, but fears surrounding driverless “robot cars” persist.
Conor Lennon speaks to some of the government representatives, industry experts and UN officials working to allay these fears, and avoid an online “Wild West”, where criminals and bad actors can roam with impunity.

Thailand has been lauded for the progressive legislation it has passed into law which ensures that women and girls have the right to a range of sexual and reproductive health services, but many teenagers struggle to access the care they need. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working with organizations in the South East Asian country to make sure those young people receive the support they are entitled to.
Music Credit: Within the Earth by Ketsa

UN peacekeeping operations are facing more challenging political and security conditions in Sub-Saharan Africa and require the united and committed support from Member States. However, as the head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, tells the Lid is On podcast from UN News, a multiplication of crises, and divisions amongst Member States are complicating peacekeeping operations.