Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

A/RES/70/174View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 106 Crime prevention and criminal justice, published in 2016.

What other versions does this mandate have?

3 versions · 2011–2022

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/76/181

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2022	A/RES/76/181	Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice	7,087	15%Compare
2016	A/RES/70/174	Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice	7,279	20%Compare
2011	A/RES/65/230	Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice	5,275	–

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

2 reports · 2011–2022

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2022	A/77/128	Follow-up to the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/76/181
2011	A/66/91	Follow-up to the 12th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/65/230

What subjects does this mandate have?

16 subjects

Children Conferences Coordination Within UN System Crime Prevention Criminal Justice Criminal Law Declarations (Text)Development Strategies Education Funds Information Dissemination International Instruments Rule of Law Teaching Materials Technical Cooperation Youth

What’s in this document?

17 operative paragraphs

Expresses its satisfaction with the results achieved by the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held in Doha from 12 to 19 April 2015, including the Doha Declaration on Integrating Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice into the Wider United Nations Agenda to Address Social and Economic Challenges and to Promote the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, and Public Participation, adopted at the high-level segment of the Thirteenth Congress;

Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Thirteenth Congress;Error: Reference source not found

Expresses its appreciation to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for the work done in the preparations for and follow-up to the Thirteenth Congress, and extends its thanks to the institutes of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme network for their contribution to the Congress, in particular with regard to the workshops held within the framework of the Congress;

Endorses the Doha Declaration adopted by the Thirteenth Congress, as approved by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twenty-fourth session and annexed to the present resolution;

Welcomes with appreciation the initiative of the Government of Qatar, in cooperation with the Qatar Foundation, to organize for the first time a youth forum prior to the Thirteenth Congress, appreciates the results of the Doha Youth Forum on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, as contained in the Doha Youth Forum Statement,⁷ which were submitted to the Congress, encourages Member States to give due consideration to the recommendations set out therein, and invites the host countries of future congresses to consider the holding of similar events;

⁷A/CONF.222/16, annex.

Invites Governments to take into consideration the Doha Declaration adopted by the Thirteenth Congress when formulating legislation and policy directives and to make every effort, where appropriate, to implement the principles contained therein in conformity with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

Invites Member States to identify areas covered in the Doha Declaration where further tools and training manuals based on international standards and best practices are needed and to submit that information to the Commission so that it may take that information into account when considering potential areas of future activity of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime;

Welcomes the intention of the Government of Qatar to work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in ensuring appropriate follow-up to the outcome of the Thirteenth Congress, particularly the implementation of the Doha Declaration;

Also welcomes the initiative of the Government of Qatar to establish a regional fund for the education and training of displaced and refugee children and youth in the Middle East, with the aim of integrating social and cultural dimensions in crime prevention strategies and policies;

Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in the development and implementation of its technical cooperation programmes, to aim for sustainable and long-lasting results when assisting Member States in rebuilding, modernizing and strengthening criminal justice systems, as well as promoting the rule of law, and to design such programmes to achieve those aims for all components of the criminal justice system, in an integrated way and with a long-term perspective;

Also requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to provide technical assistance to facilitate the ratification and implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption,⁸ the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto⁹ and the international counter-terrorism instruments;

⁸United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2349, No. 42146.

⁹Ibid., vols. 2225, 2237, 2241 and 2326, No. 39574.

Calls for greater coherence and coordination between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and relevant United Nations agencies, with a view to achieving a fully coordinated approach to integrating crime prevention and criminal justice into the broader United Nations agenda, and invites other international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations to cooperate with the Office in the implementation of its mandate;

Requests the Commission to review the implementation of the Doha Declaration under the standing item on its agenda entitled “Follow-up to the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and preparations for the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”;

Requests the Secretary-General to distribute the report of the Thirteenth Congress, including the Doha Declaration, to Member States, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations, so as to ensure that they are disseminated as widely as possible, and to seek proposals by Member States on ways and means of ensuring appropriate follow-up to the Doha Declaration, for consideration and action by the Commission at its twenty-fifth session;

Welcomes with appreciation the offer of the Government of Japan to act as host to the Fourteenth Congress, to be held in 2020;

Expresses its profound gratitude to the people and Government of Qatar for the warm and generous hospitality extended to the participants in the Thirteenth Congress and for the excellent facilities provided for the Congress;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.

Annex I

Doha Declaration on Integrating Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice into the Wider United Nations Agenda to Address Social and Economic Challenges and to Promote the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, and Public Participation

We, Heads of State and Government, Ministers and Representatives of Member States,

Having assembled at the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Doha, from 12 to 19 April 2015, to reaffirm our shared commitment to uphold the rule of law and to prevent and counter crime in all its forms and manifestations, at the domestic and international levels, to ensure that our criminal justice systems are effective, fair, humane and accountable, to provide access to justice for all, to build effective, accountable, impartial and inclusive institutions at all levels and to uphold the principle of human dignity and the universal observance and respect of all human rights and fundamental freedoms,

To that end, declare the following:

We acknowledge the 60-year legacy and continuing significant role of the United Nations congresses on crime prevention and criminal justice as one of the largest and most diverse international forums for the exchange of views and experiences in research, law and policy and programme development between States, intergovernmental organizations and individual experts representing various professions and disciplines in order to identify emerging trends and issues in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. We recognize the unique and important contributions of the congresses to law and policy development, as well as to the identification of emerging trends and issues in crime prevention and criminal justice.

We reaffirm the cross-cutting nature of crime prevention and criminal justice issues and the consequent need to integrate those issues into the wider agenda of the United Nations in order to enhance system-wide coordination. We look forward to the future contributions of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice with regard to designing and implementing national and international crime prevention and criminal justice policies and programmes, taking into account and building upon the recommendations of the congresses.

We recognize the importance of effective, fair, humane and accountable crime prevention and criminal justice systems and the institutions comprising them as a central component of the rule of law. We commit ourselves to holistic and comprehensive approaches to countering crime, violence, corruption and terrorism in all their forms and manifestations, and to ensuring that those responses are implemented in a coordinated and coherent way, along with broader programmes or measures for social and economic development, poverty eradication, respect for cultural diversity, social peace and social inclusion.

We acknowledge that sustainable development and the rule of law are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing. We therefore welcome the inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process for the post-2015 development agenda, which is aimed at developing global sustainable development goals to be agreed by the General Assembly, and acknowledge the proposals of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals of the Assembly as the main basis for integrating sustainable development goals into the post-2015 development agenda, while recognizing that other inputs will also be considered. In this context, we reiterate the importance of promoting peaceful, corruption-free and inclusive societies for sustainable development, with a focus on a people-centred approach that provides access to justice for all and builds effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

We reaffirm our commitment and strong political will in support of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems and the institutions comprising them, and encourage the effective participation and inclusion of all sectors of society, thus creating the conditions needed to advance the wider United Nations agenda, while respecting fully the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and recognizing the responsibility of Member States to uphold human dignity, all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in particular for those affected by crime and those who may be in contact with the criminal justice system, including vulnerable members of society, regardless of their status, who may be subject to multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination, and to prevent and counter crime motivated by intolerance or discrimination of any kind. To that end, we endeavour:

To adopt comprehensive and inclusive national crime prevention and criminal justice policies and programmes that fully take into account evidence and other relevant factors, including the root causes of crime, as well as the conditions conducive to its occurrence, and, in accordance with our obligations under international law and taking into consideration relevant United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, to ensure appropriate training of officials entrusted with upholding the rule of law and the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

To ensure the right of everyone to a fair trial without undue delay by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law, to equal access to justice with due process safeguards and, if needed, to access to an attorney and to an interpreter, and to ensure relevant rights under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations;¹⁰ to exercise due diligence to prevent and counter acts of violence; and to take effective legislative, administrative and judicial measures to prevent, prosecute and punish all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and eliminate impunity;

¹⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 596, No. 8638.

To review and reform legal aid policies for expansion of access to effective legal aid in criminal proceedings for those without sufficient means or when the interests of justice so require, including, when necessary, through the development of national plans in this field, and to build capacities to provide and ensure access to effective legal aid in all matters and in all its forms, taking into account the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems;¹¹

¹¹Resolution 67/187, annex.

To make every effort to prevent and counter corruption, and to implement measures aimed at enhancing transparency in public administration and promoting the integrity and accountability of our criminal justice systems, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption;¹²

¹²United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2349, No. 42146.

To integrate child- and youth-related issues into our criminal justice reform efforts, recognizing the importance of protecting children from all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, consistent with the obligations of parties under relevant international instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child¹³ and the Optional Protocols thereto,¹⁴ and taking into consideration the relevant provisions of the United Nations Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice,¹⁵ as well as to develop and apply comprehensive child-sensitive justice policies focused on the best interests of the child, consistent with the principle that the deprivation of liberty of children should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, so as to protect children who are in contact with the criminal justice system, as well as children who are in any other situation requiring legal proceedings, particularly in relation to their treatment and social reintegration. We look forward to the results of the global study on children deprived of their liberty in this regard;

¹³Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531.

¹⁴Ibid., vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531; and resolution 66/138, annex.

¹⁵Resolution 69/194, annex.

To mainstream a gender perspective into our criminal justice systems by developing and implementing national strategies and plans to promote the full protection of women and girls from all acts of violence, including gender-related killing of women and girls, in accordance with the obligations of parties under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women¹⁶ and the Optional Protocol thereto,¹⁷ and taking into account the updated Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice¹⁸ and General Assembly resolutions on the gender-related killing of women and girls;

¹⁶United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378.

¹⁷Ibid., vol. 2131, No. 20378.

¹⁸Resolution 65/228, annex.

To promote gender-specific measures as an integral part of our policies on crime prevention, criminal justice and the treatment of offenders, including the rehabilitation and reintegration of women offenders into society, taking into consideration the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules);¹⁹

¹⁹Resolution 65/229, annex.

To develop and implement appropriate and effective national strategies and plans for the advancement of women in criminal justice systems and institutions at the leadership, managerial and other levels;

To enhance equality for all persons before the law, including gender equality, for individuals belonging to minority groups and for indigenous people, through, inter alia, a comprehensive approach with other sectors of government, relevant members of civil society and the media and the promotion of the recruitment by criminal justice institutions of individuals belonging to these groups;

To implement and enhance policies for prison inmates that focus on education, work, medical care, rehabilitation, social reintegration and the prevention of recidivism, and to consider the development and strengthening of policies to support the families of inmates, as well as to promote and encourage the use of alternatives to imprisonment, where appropriate, and to review or reform our restorative justice and other processes in support of successful reintegration;

To intensify our efforts to address the challenge of prison overcrowding through appropriate criminal justice reforms, which should include, where appropriate, a review of penal policies and practical measures to reduce pretrial detention, to enhance the use of non-custodial sanctions and to improve access to legal aid to the extent possible;

To adopt effective measures for the recognition, protection and provision of support for and assistance to victims and witnesses in the framework of criminal justice responses to all crimes, including corruption and terrorism, in accordance with relevant international instruments and taking into consideration the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice;

To implement a victim-oriented approach to prevent and counter all forms of trafficking in persons for the purpose of exploitation, including the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs, where appropriate, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,²⁰ and taking into account the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons,²¹ and to work, as necessary, with regional, international and civil society organizations to overcome the obstacles that may impede the delivery of social and legal assistance to victims of trafficking;

²⁰United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2237, No. 39574.

²¹Resolution 64/293.

To implement effective measures to protect the human rights of smuggled migrants, particularly women and children, and unaccompanied migrant children, in accordance with the obligations of parties under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime²² and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,²³ which include the obligation that migrants shall not become liable to criminal prosecution under the Protocol only for the fact of having been the object of smuggling, and other relevant international instruments, and to make every possible effort to prevent the further loss of lives and bring the perpetrators to justice;

²²United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2225, No. 39574.

²³Ibid., vol. 2241, No. 39574.

To implement effective measures to eliminate violence against all migrants, migrant workers and their families, and to take all necessary legal and administrative steps to prevent and counter crimes involving violence against those groups;

To conduct further research and gather data on crime victimization motivated by discrimination of any kind and to exchange experiences in and information on effective laws and policies that can prevent such crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and provide support to victims;

To consider providing specialized training to criminal justice professionals to enhance capacities for recognizing, understanding, suppressing and investigating hate crimes motivated by discrimination of any kind, to help engage effectively with victim communities and to build public confidence and cooperation with criminal justice agencies;

To intensify our national and international efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including racism, religious intolerance, xenophobia and gender-related discrimination by, inter alia, raising awareness, developing educational materials and programmes and considering, where appropriate, drafting and enforcing legislation against discrimination;

To prevent and counter, through appropriate domestic procedures for the timely identification and processing of cases, acts of violence falling within our jurisdiction against journalists and media professionals, whose professional duties often put them at specific risk of intimidation, harassment and violence, in particular from organized criminal groups and terrorists, and in conflict and post-conflict situations, and to ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy and effective investigations, in accordance with national legislation and applicable international law;

To strengthen the development and use of tools and methods aimed at increasing the availability and quality of statistical information and analytical studies on crime and criminal justice at the international level, in order to better measure and evaluate the impact of responses to crime and to enhance the effectiveness of crime prevention and criminal justice programmes at the national, regional and international levels.

We welcome the work of the Expert Group on the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and take note of the draft updated Standard Minimum Rules, as finalized by the Expert Group at its meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2 to 5 March 2015, and look forward to the consideration of this revised draft, and action thereon, by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

We emphasize that education for all children and youth, including the eradication of illiteracy, is fundamental to the prevention of crime and corruption and to the promotion of a culture of lawfulness that supports the rule of law and human rights while respecting cultural identities. In this regard, we also stress the fundamental role of youth participation in crime prevention efforts. Therefore, we will endeavour:

To create a safe, positive and secure learning environment in schools, supported by the community, including by protecting children from all forms of violence, harassment, bullying, sexual abuse and drug abuse, in accordance with domestic laws;

To integrate crime prevention, criminal justice and other rule of law aspects into our domestic educational systems;

To integrate crime prevention and criminal justice strategies into all relevant social and economic policies and programmes, in particular those affecting youth, with a special emphasis on programmes focused on increasing educational and employment opportunities for youth and young adults;

To provide access to education for all, including technical and professional skills, as well as to promote lifelong learning skills for all.

We endeavour to strengthen international cooperation as a cornerstone of our efforts to enhance crime prevention and ensure that our criminal justice systems are effective, fair, humane and accountable, and ultimately to prevent and counter all crimes. We encourage States parties to implement and make more effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols thereto, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the three international drug control conventions and the international conventions and protocols related to countering terrorism, and urge all Member States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to those instruments. We underscore that any measures taken to counter terrorism must comply with all our obligations under international law. We endeavour to enhance further international cooperation to stop the systematic exploitation of large numbers of individuals who are forced and coerced into a life of abuse and degradation. We therefore strive:

To promote and strengthen international and regional cooperation to further develop the capacity of national criminal justice systems, including through efforts to modernize and strengthen national legislation, as appropriate, as well as joint training and upgrading of the skills of our criminal justice officials, in particular to foster the development of strong and effective central authorities for international cooperation in criminal matters, inter alia, in the areas of extradition, mutual legal assistance, transfer of criminal proceedings and transfer of sentenced persons, and to conclude, where appropriate, bilateral and regional cooperation agreements, and to continue the development of specialized networks of law enforcement authorities, central authorities, prosecutors, judges, defence lawyers and legal aid providers to exchange information and share good practices and expertise, including, where appropriate, by promoting a global virtual network to advance, where possible, direct contact among competent authorities to enhance information-sharing and mutual legal assistance, making the best possible use of information and communication platforms;

To continue to support the implementation of capacity-building programmes and training for criminal justice officials aimed at preventing and countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in line with human rights and fundamental freedoms, including with regard to international cooperation in criminal matters, the financing of terrorism, the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, the destruction of cultural heritage by terrorists and kidnapping for ransom or for the purpose of extortion, and at addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, and to cooperate, as well as address, further analyse and identify appropriate areas for joint action, through, inter alia, effective exchange of information and sharing of experiences and best practices, to counter any existing, growing or potential links, in some cases, between transnational organized crime, illicit drug-related activities, money-laundering and the financing of terrorism, in order to enhance criminal justice responses to those crimes;

To adopt effective measures at the national and international levels aimed at preventing terrorist groups from benefiting from ransom payments;

To strengthen cooperation at the international, regional, subregional and bilateral levels to counter the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, including through enhanced operational and timely information-sharing, logistical support, as appropriate, and capacity-building activities, such as those provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, to share and adopt best practices to identify foreign terrorist fighters, to prevent the travel of foreign terrorist fighters from, into or through Member States, to prevent the financing, mobilization, recruitment and organization of foreign terrorist fighters, to counter violent extremism and radicalization to violence, which can be conducive to terrorism, to enhance our efforts to implement deradicalization programmes, and to ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in the supporting of terrorist acts is brought to justice, in compliance with obligations under international law, as well as applicable domestic law;

To implement effective measures to detect, prevent and counter corruption, as well as the transfer abroad and laundering of assets derived from corruption, and to strengthen international cooperation and assistance to Member States to assist in the identification, freezing or seizure of such assets, as well as in their recovery and return, in accordance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption, in particular chapter V thereof, and in this regard to continue discussing innovative modalities to improve mutual legal assistance in order to speed up asset recovery proceedings and render them more successful, while also drawing on the experience and knowledge built through the implementation of the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Bank;

To develop strategies to prevent and combat all illicit financial flows and emphasize the urgent need to adopt more effective measures to fight against economic and financial crimes, including fraud, as well as tax and corporate crimes, especially in their relevant transnational dimensions;

To strengthen or, as appropriate, adopt procedures to more effectively prevent and counter money-laundering and enhance measures for the identification, tracing, freezing, seizure and recovery of the proceeds of crime, including money and other assets that have not been accounted for and that are found in safe havens, for the purpose of their eventual confiscation, including, where appropriate and in accordance with domestic law, non-conviction-based confiscation, and for the transparent disposition of confiscated proceeds;

To develop and implement adequate mechanisms to manage and preserve the value and condition of frozen, seized or confiscated assets that are the proceeds of crime, as well as to strengthen international cooperation in criminal matters and to explore ways of affording one another similar cooperation in civil and administrative proceedings for confiscation purposes;

To take appropriate measures to prevent and counter trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, while protecting the victims and those who have been the object of such crimes, through all necessary legal and administrative steps, in accordance with the respective protocols, as appropriate, and strengthening inter-agency cooperation and coordination at the national level, as well as closer bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation;

To consider, when investigating and prosecuting offences related to trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, the concurrent undertaking of financial investigations, with a view to tracing, freezing and confiscating proceeds acquired through those crimes, and the establishment of such crimes as predicate offences for money-laundering, as well as to enhance coordination and information-sharing among relevant agencies;

To develop and adopt, as appropriate, effective measures to prevent and combat the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition, as well as explosives, including through awareness-raising campaigns designed to eliminate the illicit use of firearms and the illicit manufacture of explosives, to encourage States parties to the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,²⁴ to strengthen implementation of the Protocol by, inter alia, considering the use of available tools, including marking and record-keeping technologies, to facilitate the tracing of firearms and, where possible, their parts and components and ammunition, in order to enhance criminal investigations of illicit trafficking in firearms, to support the implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects,²⁵ and to note the contributions of existing instruments on this issue and on related matters at the regional and international levels;

²⁴Ibid., vol. 2326, No. 39574.

²⁵Report of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, New York, 9–20 July 2001 (A/CONF.192/15), chap. IV, para. 24.

To intensify our efforts to address the world drug problem, based upon the principle of common and shared responsibility and through a comprehensive and balanced approach, including through more effective bilateral, regional and international cooperation among judicial and law enforcement authorities, to counter the involvement of organized criminal groups in illicit drug production and trafficking and related criminal activities, and to take steps to reduce the violence that accompanies drug trafficking;

To continue to explore all options regarding an appropriate and effective mechanism or mechanisms to assist the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in the review of the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto in an effective and efficient manner;

To invite Member States to draw on the United Nations model treaties on international cooperation in criminal matters when considering developing agreements with other States, bearing in mind their value as important tools for the development of international cooperation, and to invite the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to continue its initiative to identify United Nations model treaties that may need to be updated, based on inputs received from Member States.

We endeavour to ensure that the benefits of economic, social and technological advancements become a positive force to enhance our efforts in preventing and countering new and emerging forms of crime. We recognize our responsibility to adequately respond to emerging and evolving threats posed by such crimes. Therefore, we strive:

To develop and implement comprehensive crime prevention and criminal justice responses, including strengthening of the capacities of our judiciary and law enforcement institutions, and to adopt, when necessary, legislative and administrative measures to effectively prevent and counter new, emerging and evolving forms of crime at the national, regional and international levels, taking into account the scope of application of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime with regard to “serious crimes”, in accordance with national legislation;

To explore specific measures designed to create a secure and resilient cyberenvironment, to prevent and counter criminal activities carried out over the Internet, paying particular attention to identity theft, recruitment for the purpose of trafficking in persons and protecting children from online exploitation and abuse, to strengthen law enforcement cooperation at the national and international levels, including with the aim of identifying and protecting victims by, inter alia, removing child pornography, in particular child sexual abuse imagery, from the Internet, to enhance the security of computer networks and protect the integrity of relevant infrastructure, and to endeavour to provide long-term technical assistance and capacity-building to strengthen the ability of national authorities to deal with cybercrime, including the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of such crime in all its forms. In addition, we note the activities of the open-ended intergovernmental expert group to conduct a comprehensive study of the problem of cybercrime and responses to it by Member States, the international community and the private sector, and invite the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to consider recommending that the expert group continue, based on its work, to exchange information on national legislation, best practices, technical assistance and international cooperation, with a view to examining options to strengthen existing responses and to propose new national and international legal or other responses to cybercrime;

To strengthen and implement comprehensive crime prevention and criminal justice responses to illicit trafficking in cultural property, for the purpose of providing the widest possible international cooperation to address such crime, to review and strengthen domestic legislation to counter trafficking in cultural property, where appropriate, in accordance with our commitments under international instruments, including, as appropriate, the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970,²⁶ and taking into consideration the International Guidelines for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Responses with Respect to Trafficking in Cultural Property and Other Related Offences,²⁷ to continue to gather and share information and statistical data on trafficking in cultural property, in particular on trafficking that involves organized criminal groups and terrorist organizations, and to further consider the potential utility of and improvements to the model treaty for the prevention of crimes that infringe on the cultural heritage of peoples in the form of movable property,²⁸ and international standards and norms in this field, in close cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and other competent international organizations, with a view to ensuring coordination of efforts in fulfilment of their respective mandates;

²⁶United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 823, No. 11806.

²⁷Resolution 69/196, annex.

²⁸Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, 27 August–7 September 1990: report prepared by the Secretariat (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.91.IV.2), chap. I, sect. B.1, annex.

To conduct further research on the links between urban crime and other manifestations of organized crime in some countries and regions, including crimes committed by gangs, as well as to exchange experiences in and information on effective crime prevention and criminal justice programmes and policies among Member States and with relevant international and regional organizations, in order to address through innovative approaches the impact of urban crime and gang-related violence on specific populations and places, fostering social inclusion and employment opportunities and aiming at facilitating social reintegration of adolescents and young adults;

To adopt effective measures to prevent and counter the serious problem of crimes that have an impact on the environment, such as trafficking in wildlife, including flora and fauna as protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,²⁹ timber and timber products and hazardous waste, as well as poaching, by strengthening legislation, international cooperation, capacity-building, criminal justice responses and law enforcement efforts aimed at, inter alia, dealing with transnational organized crime, corruption and money-laundering linked to such crimes;

²⁹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 993, No. 14537.

To ensure that our law enforcement and criminal justice institutions have the expertise and technical capacities to adequately address these new and emerging forms of crime, in close cooperation and coordination with one another, and to provide those institutions with the necessary financial and structural support;

To continue the analysis and exchange of information and practices relating to other evolving forms of transnational organized crime with varying impacts at the regional and global levels, with a view to more effectively preventing and countering crime and strengthening the rule of law. These may include, as appropriate, smuggling of petroleum and its derivatives, trafficking in precious metals and stones, illegal mining, counterfeiting of trademarked goods, trafficking in human organs, blood and tissue, and piracy and transnational organized crime committed at sea.³⁰

³⁰As defined by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in its resolution 22/6 (see Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2013, Supplement No. 10 and corrigendum (E/2013/30 and Corr.1), chap. I, sect. D).

We support the development and implementation of consultative and participatory processes in crime prevention and criminal justice in order to engage all members of society, including those at risk of crime and victimization, to make our prevention efforts more effective and to galvanize public trust and confidence in criminal justice systems. We recognize our leading role and responsibility at all levels in developing and implementing crime prevention strategies and criminal justice policies at the national and subnational levels. We also recognize that, to enhance the effectiveness and fairness of such strategies, we should take measures to ensure the contribution of civil society, the private sector and academia, including the network of institutes of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, as well as the media and all other relevant stakeholders, in the development and implementation of crime prevention policies. Therefore, we endeavour:

To plan and implement comprehensive policies and programmes that foster socioeconomic development, with a focus on the prevention of crime, including urban crime, and violence, and to support other Member States in such endeavours, in particular through the exchange of experience and relevant information on policies and programmes that have been successful in reducing crime and violence through social policies;

To develop awareness-raising programmes to convey key values based on the rule of law and supported by educational programmes, to be accompanied by economic and social policies promoting equality, solidarity and justice, and to reach out to young people, drawing on them as agents of positive change;

To promote a culture of lawfulness based on the protection of human rights and the rule of law while respecting cultural identity, with particular emphasis on children and youth, seeking the support of civil society and intensifying our prevention efforts and measures targeting and using the full potential of families, schools, religious and cultural institutions, community organizations and the private sector in order to address the social and economic root causes of crime;

To promote the management and resolution of social conflict through dialogue and mechanisms of community participation, including by raising public awareness, preventing victimization, increasing cooperation between the public, competent authorities and civil society, and promoting restorative justice;

To raise public confidence in criminal justice by preventing corruption and promoting respect for human rights, as well as enhancing professional competence and oversight in all sectors of the criminal justice system, thus ensuring that it is accessible and responsive to the needs and rights of all individuals;

To explore the potential for the use of traditional and new information and communications technologies in the development of policies and programmes to strengthen crime prevention and criminal justice, including for identifying public safety issues and fostering public participation;

To promote the improvement of e-government systems in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice, with a view to enhancing public participation, and to promote the use of new technologies to facilitate cooperation and partnerships between the police and the communities they serve, as well as to share good practices and exchange information on community policing;

To strengthen public-private partnerships in preventing and countering crime in all its forms and manifestations;

To ensure that the content of the law is accessible to the public, and to promote, as appropriate, the transparency of criminal trials;

To establish or build upon existing practices and measures to encourage the public, especially victims, to report and follow up on incidents of crime and corruption, and to develop and implement measures for the protection of whistle-blowers and witnesses;

To consider partnering and supporting community initiatives and fostering the active participation of citizens in ensuring access to justice for all, including awareness of their rights, as well as their involvement in the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, including by creating opportunities for community service and supporting the social reintegration and rehabilitation of offenders, and in that regard to encourage the sharing of best practices and the exchange of information on relevant social reintegration policies and programmes and on relevant public-private partnerships;

To encourage the active participation of the private sector in crime prevention, as well as in social inclusion programmes and employability schemes for vulnerable members of society, including victims and those released from prison;

To build and maintain capacities for the study of criminology, as well as forensic and correctional sciences, and to draw on contemporary scientific expertise in the design and implementation of relevant policies, programmes and projects.

As we continue our efforts to achieve the objectives set forth in the present Declaration, to enhance international cooperation, to uphold the rule of law and to ensure that our crime prevention and criminal justice systems are effective, fair, humane and accountable, we reaffirm the importance of adequate, long-term, sustainable and effective technical assistance and capacity-building policies and programmes. We therefore strive:

To continue to provide sufficient, stable and predictable funding in support of the design and implementation of effective programmes to prevent and counter crime in all its forms and manifestations, upon the request of Member States and based on an assessment of their specific needs and priorities, in close collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime;

To invite the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the network of institutes of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme, and all relevant United Nations entities and international and regional organizations, in fulfilment of their mandates, to continue to coordinate and cooperate with Member States to provide effective responses to the challenges faced at the national, regional and global levels, as well as to strengthen the effectiveness of public participation in crime prevention and criminal justice, including through the preparation of studies and the development and implementation of programmes.

We reaffirm that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime remains an essential partner for the achievement of our aspirations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and for the implementation of the provisions of the present Declaration.

We welcome with appreciation the offer of the Government of Japan to act as host to the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2020.

We express our profound gratitude to the people and Government of Qatar for their warm and generous hospitality and for the excellent facilities provided for the Thirteenth Congress.

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