Director General/Executive Director
23 May 2016
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Welcome to the 25th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
The week ahead can strengthen collective efforts to advance justice and the rule of law, and help build resilient institutions in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, and as part of the unified responses needed to confront the many crises the world is facing.
The 2030 Agenda recognizes the connections between poverty, security, crime and corruption.
This, together with the Doha Declaration, provides a clear roadmap for integrating responses to these interlinked challenges as we are starting to work towards the 2020 Crime Congress in Japan.
Moreover, we further strengthened anti-corruption action at the Sixth Session of the Conference of the States parties to the UN Convention against Corruption in Saint Petersburg last November.
States Parties launched the second cycle of the review mechanism, which will help advance international cooperation to prevent corruption and address asset recovery.
The action-oriented recommendations made by governments in Doha and St Petersburg can be key enablers for achieving the targets under the SDGs, notably Goal 16 on justice and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions.
UNODC is working with you to make the most of these opportunities.
I hope that at this session, you will seek to advance effective responses based on the tried and tested international framework provided by the Conventions against transnational organized crime and corruption, the international counterterrorism instruments, and the standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice to disrupt criminal networks and terrorist acts, and counter violent extremism and radicalization to violence; to confront corruption and do everything possible to ensure that every cent and every euro are returned to the people they belong to; and to enhance the administration of justice, including justice for children and justice responses to violence against women.
I am proud to say that on the margins of this session, UNODC with our ICCWC partners will be launching our first-ever World Wildlife Crime Report, which will help to further inform and strengthen the work on the ground we do with you through the Global Programme for Combating Wildlife and Forest Crime.
The report benefitted from the close cooperation with our partners in ICCWC.
CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon will be joining me to launch the Wildlife Crime Report tomorrow, and I encourage you all to come.
Other side events will highlight our work with partners, including INTERPOL, to strengthen regional and inter-regional networks against crime, and to address foreign terrorists fighters.
Later today, INTERPOL Secretary-General Jürgen Stock and I will sign an Agreement on Cooperation to further enhance cooperation and contribute to effective action against terrorism, organized crime, smuggling of migrants and drug trafficking.
Another side event will focus on the efforts of Member States, UNODC and its partner organizations to help prevent and stop trafficking in cultural property, a terrible crime that is funding violent extremists and threatening humanity's shared heritage.
A tool developed by UNODC to assist in implementing the International Guidelines for crime prevention and criminal justice responses to trafficking in cultural property will be launched.
At last year's session, this Commission endorsed the milestone Nelson Mandela Rules on the treatment of prisoners.
At a special event this year, UNODC will present its new Global Programme on Prison Challenges to support the practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules, and address a range of criminal justice issues, including access to legal aid, alternatives to imprisonment in line with the Tokyo Rules, and gender-sensitive criminal justice as promoted by the Bangkok Rules.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The record numbers of people on the move in the world have increased vulnerabilities and afforded criminals new opportunities for exploitation and gain.
This Commission has been at the forefront of efforts to improve justice system responses to these challenges, and UNODC remains fully engaged in advancing this work, also in view of the General Assembly Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants to be held in September.
Distinguished participants,
We look forward to the guidance Member States will provide this week, including through the six draft resolutions on the table, and I urge you to provide the necessary resources to effectively address the priorities you identify.
This session is in the capable hands of Ambassador Däuble. Mr. Chairman, my best wishes for the days ahead.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you fruitful discussions.
Thank you.