Vienna (Austria), 21 May 2021 — At the thirtieth session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Crime Commission, CCPCJ), Member States discussed the follow-up to the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Crime Congress).
The Crime Congress, the world’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice, was held in March in Japan this year. It adopted the Kyoto Declaration, where Member States called for stronger partnerships among different parts of the international community to prevent and address all forms of crime, including against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Crime Commission, as the preparatory and follow-up body for the UN crime congresses, acted upon the Kyoto Declaration, and encouraged Member States to implement the commitments made therein.
“The Kyoto Declaration is the monument to the great effort made by the Member States in the negotiations, and we must make best use of the commitments made therein”, said Yamauchi Yoshimitsu, Assistant Vice-Minister of Justice of Japan, speaking at the CCPCJ on behalf of the host country of the Fourteenth Crime Congress.
The Commission negotiated a resolution, for adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, on policy and operational measures for the follow-up to the Fourteenth Crime Congress. In this resolution, the CCPCJ is called upon to hold intersessional thematic discussions to effectively follow-up on the Kyoto Declaration, where Member States and other stakeholders will be able to exchange information, and share good practices and lessons learned.
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The United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is the world's largest and most diverse gathering of policy-makers, practitioners, academia, intergovernmental organizations and civil society in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. The Congresses have been held every five years since 1955 in different parts of the world, dealing with a vast array of topics. They have made considerable impact in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and influenced national and international policies and professional practices.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) acts as a preparatory body and as a follow up body for the Congresses, providing substantive support and direction and also considering the outcome of the Congresses and taking decisions on appropriate follow-up measures.