Director-General/Executive Director
Distinguished Chair,
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to open the thematic discussions of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on the implementation of the Kyoto Declaration.
I welcome your commitment to effective follow-up on the Declaration, and I thank the Commission for bringing together diverse stakeholders to benefit from their perspectives.
The Declaration places a timely emphasis on advancing crime prevention, just as the COVID-19 pandemic has made our world poorer and more unequal, leaving people more vulnerable to crime and violence.
The Crime Commission has a central role to play in shaping shared solutions to address the root causes of crime, create resilient societies, and protect and empower women and youth.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is here to support you, and we have prioritized holistic crime prevention approaches in our 2021-2025 Strategy, the Strategic Vision for Africa 2030, and the upcoming Strategic Vision for Latin America and the Caribbean.
We help Member States produce comprehensive data on crime in line with international standards, and develop evidence-based prevention strategies using our dedicated resources and tools.
To ensure that our societies safeguard those who are most at risk, we support countries in protecting children and youth from exploitation and recruitment by criminals online and offline, and in strengthening legislation and policies to prevent gender-based violence.
To deny criminals safe havens for their illicit gains, UNODC is helping some 40 countries develop effective financial investigations to prevent money-laundering and illicit financial flows. We are also supporting the recovery of stolen assets through regional networks and the UNODC – World Bank StAR Initiative, and informing policy on the management of seized and frozen assets.
UNODC will continue to support you, as you work together to prevent crime from compromising the COVID recovery, to realize the promise of the Kyoto Declaration, and to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
I wish you fruitful discussions. Thank you.