Role, function, periodicity and duration of the United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders — A/RES/56/119 | UN Mandate Registry
Role, Function, Periodicity and Duration of the United Nations Congresses on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders
Decides to continue holding the United Nations congresses in accordance with paragraphs 29 and 30 of the statement of principles and programme of action of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme,3 following a dynamic, interactive and cost-effective method of work and a focused programme of work, and to call them the United Nations congresses on crime prevention and criminal justice;
Also decides that, beginning in 2005, the congresses, pursuant to paragraphs 29 and 30 of the statement of principles and programme of action of the Programme, shall be held in accordance with the following guidelines:
a
Each congress shall discuss specific topics, including, where appropriate, a main topic, all of which shall be determined by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice;
b
Each congress shall include one session of pre-congress consultations;
c
Each congress shall include a high-level segment in which States will be represented at the highest possible level and will be given an opportunity to make statements on the topics of the congress;
d
As part of the high-level segment, the heads of delegations or their representatives shall participate in a number of thematic interactive round tables in order to further the discussion on the topics of the congress through open dialogue;
e
Panels of experts, to be selected by the Commission with due regard for the principle of equitable geographical distribution, shall hold workshops dealing with the topics of the congress, maintaining an open dialogue with the participants and avoiding the reading of statements;
f
Institutes of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network shall be invited to assist in the preparations for the workshops;
g
The Secretary-General shall facilitate, within existing resources, the organization of ancillary meetings of non-governmental organizations and professional organizations at each congress;
h
Each congress shall adopt a single declaration containing recommendations derived from the deliberations of the high-level segment, the round tables and the workshops, to be submitted to the Commission for its consideration;
i
Any action suggested to the Commission regarding its programme of work, contained in the declaration of the congress, shall be undertaken through individual resolutions of the Commission;
j
The Commission, as the preparatory body for the congress, shall request the Secretary-General to prepare only those background documents which are absolutely necessary for implementing the programme of work of the congress;
k
Each congress shall be preceded by regional preparatory meetings, when necessary, and the costs of the regional preparatory meetings for each congress shall be streamlined by holding them in conjunction with other regional meetings, shortening their duration and limiting the preparation of background documents;
3
Requeststhe Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to continue to act as the preparatory body for the congresses and to follow the guidelines contained in paragraph 2 above in organizing future congresses;
4
Requeststhe Secretary-General to continue to provide the staff required to serve as secretariat for the congresses and the regional preparatory meetings for the congresses;
5
Also requeststhe Secretary-General to provide the Centre for International Crime Prevention of the Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention of the Secretariat with the necessary resources, within the overall appropriations of the programme budget for the biennium 2002–2003, for the preparations for the Eleventh United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and to ensure that adequate resources are provided in the programme budget for the biennium 2004–2005 to support the holding of the Eleventh Congress;
6
Requeststhe Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to formulate, at its eleventh session, recommendations regarding the Eleventh Congress, including recommendations on the main topic, the organization of round tables and workshops to be held by panels of experts and the venue and duration of the Eleventh Congress, and to submit those recommendations, through the Economic and Social Council, to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session;
7
Also requeststhe Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to formulate, at its eleventh session, appropriate recommendations to enable the Economic and Social Council to introduce the necessary amendments to the rules of procedure for the congresses to reflect the guidelines contained in paragraph 2 above;
8
Requeststhe Secretary-General to ensure the proper follow-up to the present resolution and to report thereon to the General Assembly, through the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its eleventh session.
