In 2007, UNODC released a study on Fraud and the criminal misuse and falsification of identity ( E/CN.15/2007/8 and Add. 1, 2 and 3) commissioned by UNODC and submitted to the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its sixteenth session in line with Economic and Social Council resolution 2004/26.
There were two key achievements of that study. Firstly, it adopted a broad approach to the concept of identity-related crime to cover all forms of illicit conduct involving identity including identity fraud and identity theft. Secondly, it approached identity-related crimes from a new criminal justice perspective that treated identity-related crimes as distinct criminal offenses, rather than merely criminalizing other offences using false identities.
Report of the Secretary-General on the study on fraud, the criminal misuse and falsification of identity and related crimes ( E/CN.15/2007/8)
Report of the Secretary-General on the study on fraud, the criminal misuse and falsification of identity and related crimes - Results of the study on economic fraud ( E/CN.15/2007/8/Add.1)
Report of the Secretary-General on the study on fraud, the criminal misuse and falsification of identity and related crimes - Results of the study on economic fraud (continued) ( E/CN.15/2007/8/Add.2)
Report of the Secretary-General on the study on fraud, the criminal misuse and falsification of identity and related crimes - Results of the study on identity-related crime ( E/CN.15/2007/8/Add.3)
The above reports are available in languages other than English at: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CCPCJ/session/16.html .
Building on the findings and recommendations of that study, UNODC released the Handbook on Identity-related Crime in 2011. The main objective of the Handbook is to set out a range of options and consideration to be taken into account when addressing domestic criminal justice matters pertaining to identity-related crimes, including specific challenges in the field of international cooperation and potential partnerships between public and private sectors. The Handbook is intended for use by legislators, policy-makers, prosecutors and law enforcement practitioners, as well as other non-governmental stakeholders.
On the basis of its mandates arising from ECOSOC resolutions 2004/26 and 2007/20, UNODC has launched a consultative platform on identity-related crime with the aim to bring together senior public sector representatives, business leaders, international and regional organizations and other stakeholders to pool experience, develop strategies, facilitate further research and agree on practical action against identity-related crime.
In this context, a multi-stakeholder core group of experts on identity-related crime was established by UNODC in 2007. The core group of experts brings together representative from Member States and international organizations as well as representatives from the private sector and experts from academia.
The establishment of the core group has proved to be a successful initiative geared towards facilitating the exchange of views, information and expertise among those actors on the best course of strategic, policy and legal action against identity-related crime, as well as promoting their mutual understanding and cooperation to this effect.
ECOSOC Resolutions :
ECOSOC resolution 2004/26 on 'International cooperation in the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of fraud, the criminal misuse and falsification of identity and related crime',
ECOSOC resolution 2007/20 on 'International cooperation on the prevention, investigation and prosecution and punishment of economic fraud and identity-related crime',
ECOSOC resolution 2009/22 on 'international cooperation on the prevention, investigation and prosecution and punishment of economic fraud and identity-related crime',
ECOSOC resolution 2011/35 on 'international cooperation on the prevention, investigation and prosecution and punishment of economic fraud and identity-related crime',
ECOSOC resolution 2013/39 on 'international cooperation on the prevention, investigation and prosecution and punishment of economic fraud and identity-related crime'.
Meeting reports of the core group of experts on identity-related crimes
:
Report of the first meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Courmayeur, Italy, 29-30 November 2007)
Report of the second meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Vienna, Austria, 2-3 June 2008)
Report of the third meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Vienna, Austria, 20-22 January 2009)
Report of the fourth meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Vienna, Austria, 18-22 January 2010)
Report of the fifth meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Vienna, Austria, 6-8 December 2010)
Report of the sixth meeting of the core group of experts on identity-related crime (Vienna, Austria, 16-18 January 2013)
