Vienna (Austria), 4 December 2020 — On 3 and 4 December, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), held its regular and reconvened twenty-ninth sessions. The meetings took place in Vienna and were attended by 120 Member States, eight intergovernmental organizations, eight UN entities and 20 non-governmental organizations. Due to the COVID-19 situation, only Members of the Commission could have a delegate attending in person, all others participated remotely.
The regular and the reconvened twenty-ninth sessions of the CCPCJ were chaired by Ambassador J. Antonio Marcondes of Brazil. Addressing the opening session of the twenty-ninth regular session, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said: “The global pandemic has compounded the existing 'inequality pandemic', and has further heightened the need for the unique, integrated support that UNODC provides, to help break vicious cycles of poverty, corruption, crime, drugs, violence, and terrorism, to promote peace and security, human rights and development for all.”
The Commission plays a critical role in advancing collective efforts against national and transnational crime, while strengthening fair and effective criminal justice institutions. As the main policymaking body of the United Nations addressing crime prevention and criminal justice issues, and a governing body of UNODC, the Commission is the forum for Member States to exchange knowledge and good practices in preventing and countering crime and work to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The twenty-ninth session of the Commission, originally scheduled to take place from 18 to 22 May 2020 in Vienna, was postponed owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation. The scaled-down regular session was held on 3 December, in a hybrid format, followed immediately by the reconvened session of the Commission.
At its reconvened session, the CCPCJ discussed, jointly with the Vienna-based Commission on Narcotic Drugs, the strategic management, budgetary and administrative questions pertaining to the work of UNODC.
As the preparatory body and the implementing body for the quinquennial United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Commission also discussed preparations for the Fourteenth Crime Congress, to be held in Kyoto, Japan from 7 to 12 March 2021. In addition, Member States exchanged views on the contributions by the Commission to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
