United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
StatusActive
GenreCriminal justice
FrequencyQuinquennially
Inaugurated22 August 1955; 68 years ago (1955-08-22)
Most recent12–19 April 2015
Next event7–12 March 2021
AreaWorldwide
Organized byCommission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Websitewww.unodc.org/congress
icon Politics portal

The United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is a United Nations (UN) sponsored congress on the topics of crime, crime prevention and criminal justice, held every five years. It is organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).[1] Participants of the Congress include UN Member States and Observers, international organizations, non-governmental organization and individual experts.

The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice acts ave agenda items of the upcoming Crime Congress and to make action-oriented recommendations to serve as a basis for the draft recommendations and conclusions for consideration by the Congress. The components of the network provide a variety of services, including exchange of information, research, training and specialized education.[2][3]

The event was initially held in 1955, following the dissolution of the International Penal and Penitentiary Commission (IPPC) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1950. Initially called the United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, the current name was adopted in 2005.[1]

The antecedents of the Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice include the First International Congress on the Prevention and Repression of Crime, held at London in 1872.[4]

List of Congresses

Source:[1]

Congress Year Host City Focus Notes
1st Congress[5][6] 1955 Geneva, Switzerland
  • "Open" penal and correctional facilities
  • The selection and training of prison personnel
  • The proper use of prison labor
  • The impact of mass media on juvenile deviance
 Adopted the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners[7]
2nd Congress[6] 1960 London, United Kingdom
  • Short-term imprisonment
  • The integration of prison labor with national economies
  • The remuneration of prisoners
  • Pre-release treatment and assistance to dependents of prisoners
  • Parole and released prisoners' transition to community life
  • After care, including vocational guidance, training and placement
  • The role of national planning in preventing crime
3rd Congress[6] 1965 Stockholm, Sweden
  • Social change and criminality
  • Social forces and the prevention of criminality
  • Community action for preventing crime
  • Special preventative and treatment measures for juveniles and young adults
  • Measures to reduce recidivism
4th Congress[6] 1970 Kyoto, Japan
  • Social defense policies in relation to development planning
  • Public participation in crime prevention and control of crime and delinquency
  • The organization of research for policy development in social defense
  • Developments in the correctional field
5th Congress[6] 1975 Geneva, Switzerland
  • Offenses involving works of art and other cultural property
  • Criminality associated with alcoholism and drug use
  • Interpersonal violence
  • Criminality associated with migration and flight from natural disasters and hostilities
  • Female criminality
  • Terrorism
 Adopted the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment[8]
6th Congress[6] 1980 Caracas, Venezuela
  • Crime trends and crime prevention strategies
  • Improvement of crime statistics
  • Development of minimum standards of juvenile justice
  • Measures to put an end to torture and extra-legal executions
  • De-institutionalization of corrections and community measures
  • Specific needs of women prisoners
7th Congress[6] 1985 Milan, Italy Adopted:
8th Congress[6] 1990 Havana, Cuba Adopted:
  • Model treaties on: extradition, mutual legal assistance, transfer of proceedings in criminal matters and transfer of supervision of offenders conditionally sentenced or conditionally released[12]
  • Basic Principles for the Treatment of Prisoners[13]
  • United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency[14]
  • United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty[15]
  • Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials[16]
  • United Nations Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors[17]
  • Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers[18]
  • United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures[19]
9th Congress[6] 1995 Cairo, Egypt
  • Action against transnational and organized crime
  • The role of criminal law in the protection of the environment
  • Criminal justice and police systems
  • Crime prevention strategies in urban areas
  • Youth crime
10th Congress[6] 2000 Vienna, Austria
  • The rule of law and the strengthening of the criminal justice system
  • International cooperation in combating transnational organized crime
  • Effective crime prevention
  • Combating corruption
  • Crimes relating to the computer network
  • Community involvement in crime prevention
  • Women in the criminal justice system
 Adopted the Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century[20]
11th Congress[6] 2005 Bangkok, Thailand
  • Effective measures to combat transnational organized crime
  • Economic and financial crime: challenges to sustainable development
  • Corruptions: threats and trends in the twenty-first century
  • International cooperation against terrorism and links between terrorism and other criminal activities
  • Standard-setting in crime prevention and criminal justice
 Adopted the Bangkok Declaration on Synergies and Responses: Strategic Alliances in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice[21]
12th Congress[22] 2010 Salvador, Brazil
  • Education for Justice
  • Judicial Integrity
  • Prisoner Rehabilitation
  • Crime Prevention through Sports
13th Congress[23] 2015 Doha, Qatar Adopted the Doha Declaration on Integrating Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice into the Wider United Nations Agenda to Address Social and Economic Challenges and to Promote the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, and Public Participation[24]
14th Congress[25][26] 2021 Kyoto, Japan

Overall theme: "Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda"

  • Evidence-based crime prevention: statistics, indicators and evaluation in support of successful practices
  • Reducing reoffending: identifying risks and developing solutions
  • Education and youth engagement as key to making societies resilient to crime
  • Current crime trends, recent developments and emerging solutions, in particular new technologies as means for and tools against crime
 Postponed by the General Assembly due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Previous Congresses, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  2. ^ Regional Preparatory Meetings, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  3. ^ "United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)". International Year Book and Statesmen's Who's Who. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  4. ^ International Penal and Penitentiary Commission (IPPC) Archived 6 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  5. ^ Middendorff, Wolf (8–20 August 1950). "Second United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. London: United Nations. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice 1955–2010: 55 years of achievement" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. United Nations. February 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Standard Minmim Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Beijing Rules" (PDF). Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  10. ^ "General Assembly Resolution A/RES/40/34". United Nations. 29 November 1985. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  11. ^ "Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Handbook on the International Transfer of Sentenced Persons" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Genereal Assembly Resolution A/RES/45/111". United Nations. 14 December 1990. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  14. ^ "General Assembly Resolution A/RES/45/112". United Nations. 14 December 1990. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  15. ^ "United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  17. ^ "United Nations Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  19. ^ "Tokyo Rules". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. United Nations. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice" (PDF). United Nations. 12 April 2000. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Bangkok Declaration" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  22. ^ Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Salvador, Brazil, 12–19 April 2010) Archived 16 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine,
  23. ^ 13th Crime Congress - official website, United Nations.
  24. ^ Doha Declaration, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  25. ^ 14th Crime Congress - website of UNODC, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
  26. ^ 14th Crime Congress - website of host country, Ministry of Justice (Japan).
  27. ^ United Nations General Assembly Session 47 Decision 47. Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice A/74/L.47 6 April 2020. Retrieved 21 June 2020.

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