Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Transcription

1 Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

2 MANDATES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was established by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1992/1, as one of its functional commissions, upon the request of General Assembly resolution 46/152. The Commission acts as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. The Council provided for the Commission s mandates and priorities in resolution 1992/22, which includes: International action to combat national and transnational crime, such as organized crime, economic crime and money-laundering Promoting the role of criminal law in protecting the environment Crime prevention in urban areas, including juvenile crime and violence Improving the efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems The Commission also offers Member States a forum for exchanging expertise, experience and information in order to develop national and international strategies, and to identify priorities for combating crime. In 2006, the General Assembly adopted resolution 61/252, which further expanded the mandates of the Commission to enable it to function as a governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and to approve the budget of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Fund, which provides resources for technical assistance in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice worldwide. The Commission coordinates with other United Nations bodies that have specific mandates in the areas

3 of crime prevention and criminal justice, and it is the preparatory body to the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Declarations adopted by the Congress are considered for approval by the Commission, and are subsequently transmitted through the Economic and Social Council for endorsement by the General Assembly. The Commission implements the outcome of the Congress through decisions and resolutions, many of which are recommended for approval by the Economic and Social Council or, through the Economic and Social Council, for adoption by the General Assembly. In addition to its annual regular meeting, the Commission convenes intersessional meetings to provide policy guidance to UNODC. Towards the end of each year, the Commission meets at a reconvened session to consider budgetary and administrative matters, and other issues as required, as the governing body of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme. MEMBERSHIP AND BUREAU OF THE COMMISSION The Commission is composed of 40 Member States elected by the Economic and Social Council for a period of three years. The distribution of seats among the regional groups is as follows: 12 for African States, 9 for Asian States, 8 for Latin American and Caribbean States, 4 for Eastern European States and 7 for Western European and other States. The Bureau of the Commission is composed of the chairperson, three vice-chairpersons and one rapporteur. The extended Bureau also includes the chairpersons of the five regional groups, the Chair of the Group of 77 and China, and the representative of the State holding the presidency of the European Union.

4 UNITED NATIONS CONGRESSES ON CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE The United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice play a major role in international standard-setting and policymaking. They bring together policymakers and practitioners in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice, as well as parliamentarians, individual experts from academia and representatives from civil society. Reporting to the General Assembly and with the Commission as their preparatory body, since 1955 the congresses have been held every five years in different parts of the world and have contributed to shaping international and domestic policies. The Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Doha, Qatar, in April 2015, 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.

5 The Fourteenth Congress will be held in Kyoto, Japan, in 2020, with the theme Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The Congress agenda will include the following substantive items: Comprehensive strategies for crime prevention towards social and economic development Integrated approaches to challenges facing the criminal justice system Multidimensional approaches by Governments to promoting the rule of law by, inter alia, providing access to justice for all; building effective, accountable, impartial and inclusive institutions; and considering social, educational and other relevant measures, including fostering a culture of lawfulness while respecting cultural identities, in line with the Doha Declaration International cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime: Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations New and emerging forms of crime In addition, the following issues shall be considered at the workshops within the framework of the Fourteenth Congress: 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 Regional preparatory meetings will be held in More information will be available at

6 SECRETARIAT TO THE GOVERNING BODIES The Secretariat to the Governing Bodies is the main point of contact for Member States concerning matters pertaining to the work and the competence of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, its subsidiary bodies, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice as well as regarding the work of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly on drug control and crime matters. The Secretariat provides substantive and technical support to the Commissions as well as to their Bureaux and extended Bureaux. Further information is available at: Vienna International Centre P.O. Box 500, 1400 Vienna, Austria Fax: (+43-1) V