Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
In this specialized workshop intended for forensic science service providers (FSSPs), we explore the increasing adoption of Time-of-Flight and Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (TOF/QTOF-MS) technologies within forensic laboratories. The session provides an in-depth examination of various critical stages, encompassing planning, validation methodologies, analytical techniques, data review processes, and report generation. Subject matter experts disseminate knowledge and share first-hand experiences related to the utilization of TOF/QTOF-MS technology. This discussion aims to lower the barrier for implementing TOF/QTOF-MS instrumentation for screening or confirmatory analysis.
This video is part one of two from a webinar hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on October 18, 2023.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
Source: US National Institute of Justice (video statements)
The world of forensic science and death investigation is always unpredictable and demanding. Large caseloads, hazardous materials, traumatic evidence, and other complexities related to the job can have a direct effect on staff. Individuals working in this field are continually faced with an incredible amount of grief, sadness, pressure, and stress. This webinar presents a comprehensive literature review as well as preliminary results from a cross-discipline, cross-sectional study examining the prevalence of vicarious trauma and burnout from more than 500 forensic practitioner respondents. Additionally, the need for stress and trauma awareness training and a structured peer support system are discussed as a valuable endeavor for any organization whose employees are faced with sensitive, challenging, and traumatic events or information every day.
This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on March 28, 2023.
(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)
On 16 September 2025 Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hosts the conference: "One year after the Draghi report".
President von der Leyen and Prof. Mario Draghi will discuss what has been achieved and what has changed.
"One year ago, the Draghi Report called on Europe to shift gears in the global race for competitiveness. We heard that call. Loud and clear. And we responded, fast and forcefully.
This Tuesday, with Mario Draghi, let’s take stock of how far we’ve come together." Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
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Press conference by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, on humanitarian affairs.
The United Nations top humanitarian official, Tom Fletcher, today (15 Sep) said, “there are many who would like to see the UN being weakened" and called for the Organization to “push back against this crisis of finance” and “these challenges to our legitimacy and to our confidence.”
Talking to reporters in New York ahead of High-Level week, Fletcher said the financial situation “got worse since I was last here,” noting that “we’ve only been funded 19 percent of what we need.”
He said, “those funding cuts have already meant that we have hyper, hyper prioritised our planning in order to target saving 114 million lives, which would cost 29 billion dollars.”
Fletcher stressed that humanitarian workers are “under attack,” adding that last year, 380 plus aid workers were killed, the “highest ever.”
He said, “it’s a record that I fear will break again. And that violence against us – and I’ll come on to Yemen, for example, and of course OPT, Gaza- is somehow being normalized.”
On Gaza, Fletcher said, “we need the crossings open. We need functional access. We need unimpeded safe passage inside Gaza. We need the looting to stop. We need the hostages to be released. We need a ceasefire now.”
And all of this, he added, “is against the backdrop where the rules of war are being corroded day by day.
On Sudan, he said, “particular focus on trying to get this siege of El Asher lifted,” where “900,000 people there are in desperate, desperate need of our lifesaving work.”
On Syria, he said he expected the visit of President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his team “to ensure we’ve got the right balance in the conversation between the humanitarian imperative and that longer term development and resilience and reconstruction effort that will allow the people of Syria, as they wish to, to reduce that dependence on humanitarian aid.”
On Haiti, which he visited last week, Fletcher said, “the violence has to end.”
He noted that the capital Port au Prince is “pushed to the brink” and told reporters he had met “young people trapped by violence, but who are finding ways to rebuild their lives,” as well as “IDP families living in the most unthinkable conditions” and survivors of gender based violence, “who have faced just unspeakable and repeated attacks.”
Responding to a journalist’s question on aid delivery in Gaza, Fletcher said, “can I guarantee that every grain of rice that gets looted from our lorries doesn’t end up on the market in some way or doesn’t get stolen by Hamas fighters? No, it’s impossible in those chaotic conditions to guarantee that. But we feel very confident that we have a system that ensures the majority does get to civilians. If we’re allowed to operate. You know, if we could flood Gaza with hundreds of trucks a day, the looting would go away. The prices in the markets would come down. So, we know we can do that. And we can do that even in these incredibly difficult conditions that exist.”
The future is young. Half the world is under 30 and this generation is emerging as a powerful force for peace in a world marred by conflict and injustice.
Across the globe, young people are organizing protests, sparking global movements, and forging bonds of solidarity. In communities ravaged by violence, they serve as peacemakers, peacekeepers, and peacebuilders, laying the groundwork for a resilient tomorrow.
These are some of their many voices – calling for change, hope and a world that is fit for their generation. They have the greatest stake in our common future, yet they are too often excluded from the spaces where solutions are shaped.
It’s time to hear their voices and act now.
Learn more about the UN campaign guided on the powerful agency of young peacemakers – https://www.un.org/en/peace-and-security/hear-us
Briefing by Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on the situation in the Middle East.
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Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher, briefing the Security Council, said that the people of Yemen are facing “an ever-growing humanitarian crisis” that has left the country the third most food insecure in the world. He warned that before February next year, one million more Yemenis are expected to be pushed into extreme hunger, joining 17 million already struggling to feed themselves, including over 40,000 people in catastrophic conditions. “Seventy per cent of households in Yemen do not have enough food to meet their daily needs – the highest rate ever recorded,” Fletcher told Council members. Nearly half of the population is suffering severe food deprivation, he said, adding that “in one out of five households, someone goes a full day and night without any food at all.”
The humanitarian chief pointed to localized efforts that are saving lives despite a difficult operating environment. In Hajjah, aid organizations strengthened their response after children in displacement camps died from starvation, scaling up food distributions, hygiene kits, and cash support. In Amran, support from the Yemen Humanitarian Fund allowed local partners to provide health and nutrition services to 15,000 people, including at the Maswar Rural Hospital. In Marib, UNICEF and WHO are providing emergency nutrition through four hospitals, treating hundreds of severely malnourished children, pregnant women, and new mothers. Humanitarian partners have also reached over 172,000 people affected by floods with shelter, clean water, and non-food items.
Despite these efforts, Fletcher stressed that “it is not enough.” Funding shortages are limiting the scale of response, he said, noting that two million women and girls have already lost access to reproductive health services in a country where a woman dies every two hours in childbirth. He warned that “funding cuts are costing lives” at a time when conflict and a collapsing economy continue to devastate Yemen.
The Under-Secretary-General also expressed grave concern over continued hostilities, including air strikes in Sana’a and Al Jawf since the last Council briefing that reportedly caused more than 300 casualties. He reiterated that “international humanitarian law must be respected; civilians and civilian objects must be protected.”
Equally alarming, Fletcher said, is the detention of 44 United Nations staff by Houthi authorities since late August, along with dozens of personnel from NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions. “The arbitrary detention of UN staff, the forcible entry of UN offices, and the seizure of equipment fundamentally undermines our ability to deliver at scale,” he told the Council. “Detaining UN staff does not help the people of Yemen. It does not feed the hungry, heal the sick, nor protect those displaced by floods or fighting.”
Fletcher concluded with three urgent calls to action. First, he demanded the immediate release of all detained UN colleagues. Second, he called for the return of UN compounds occupied by security forces, to allow humanitarian partners to safely resume their work. Third, he appealed for increased funding for the humanitarian response to food insecurity and malnutrition, stressing that “we must not allow mass hunger to define the future of Yemen.”
What is the UN General Assembly High-Level Week?
UNGA80 marks the 80th session of the General Assembly and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, where world leaders gather at the High-level week in New York to discuss global issues.
