Vienna (Austria), 5 June 2026 – The 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) concluded today after a week of discussions on some of the most pressing crime prevention and criminal justice challenges facing the international community. 126 Member States, 15 intergovernmental organizations, 12 United Nations entities and members of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network (PNI), and 135 non-governmental organisations, gathered in Vienna to advance cooperation against evolving criminal threats, including online child sexuality extortion, trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality and fraud.
Closing the session, the Chair of the 35th CCPCJ, H.E. Ambassador Rüdiger Bohn of Germany, thanked delegations for their constructive engagement throughout the week. Highlighting the consensus adoption of all three resolutions, he noted that “this was a strong week for multilateralism,” reflecting the spirit of cooperation that characterized the session and reaffirming the Commission’s role as a platform for advancing shared priorities in crime prevention and criminal justice.
In her closing remarks, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Monica Juma welcomed the successful conclusion of the session and commended Member States for their active engagement throughout the week. Noting that nearly 1,500 participants had joined the session, she highlighted the enduring value of the Commission as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. She stressed that the discussions and decisions taken during the week had helped shape international responses to some of today’s most pressing criminal justice challenges while laying a strong foundation for the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress, to be held later this year in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on the consensus reached on the Commission’s resolutions, Ms. Juma underscored the importance of patience, persistence and dialogue in advancing multilateral cooperation, emphasizing that the impact of the Commission’s work extends far beyond the conference room through stronger laws, safer communities and better protection for people around the world.
Reporting on the work of the Committee of the Whole, H.E. Ambassador Atsushi Kaifu of Japan highlighted the constructive spirit that guided negotiations throughout the week. The Commission’s three resolutions were adopted by consensus, reaffirming the commitment of Member States to addressing contemporary crime prevention and criminal justice challenges through international cooperation.
The Commission adopted three resolutions addressing emerging and rapidly evolving crime prevention and criminal justice challenges.
Protecting children from online sexual extortion ("sextortion"):
Member States adopted a resolution aimed at preventing and combating the growing phenomenon of transnational sexual extortion of children. The resolution highlights the increasing use of social media, gaming platforms, messaging services, artificial intelligence and digitally altered images to coerce children into sharing intimate content, which is then used for blackmail, financial extortion, and further exploitation. It calls for stronger international cooperation, enhanced victim protection, greater engagement with the private sector and improved efforts to identify and prosecute offenders.
Addressing trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality:
The Commission also adopted a resolution addressing trafficking in persons for the purpose of forced criminality, an emerging form of exploitation in which victims are coerced into committing crimes for the benefit of traffickers. These crimes can include online fraud, cyber-enabled offences, drug trafficking, theft, extortion, forced begging and activities linked to scam centres. The resolution emphasizes victim identification, the principle of non-punishment for victims compelled to commit offences, strengthened prevention measures and enhanced international cooperation to dismantle criminal networks responsible for such exploitation.
Strengthening responses to transnational fraud and scam centres:
Recognizing the rapid growth and increasing sophistication of fraud worldwide, the Commission adopted a resolution calling for stronger crime prevention and criminal justice responses to combat fraud, particularly cyber-enabled fraud conducted by organized criminal groups. The resolution addresses the rise of large-scale scam centres, the use of virtual assets to conceal criminal proceeds, and the links between fraud, trafficking in persons, corruption, money-laundering and other forms of organized crime. It promotes enhanced international cooperation, stronger public-private partnerships, improved victim support and greater use of technology to prevent, detect and investigate fraud.
Together, the three resolutions underscore the need for stronger international cooperation, victim-centred approaches, public-private partnerships and innovative responses to emerging criminal threats that increasingly transcend national borders.
Preparations for the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress, to be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 26 September to 1 October 2026, featured prominently throughout the session. Member States reviewed progress in preparations for the Congress and reaffirmed its importance as a global platform for shaping the international agenda on crime prevention and criminal justice.
In addition to the formal proceedings, the session was enriched by more than 100 side events covering a broad range of issues, including cybercrime, online scams, trafficking in persons, access to justice, prison reform and violence prevention. The strong participation of civil society, with more than 600 representatives from 135 non-governmental organizations attending the session, underscored the importance of inclusive and multi-stakeholder approaches to crime prevention and criminal justice.
