Vienna, 4 December 2024 – “Since 2021, new conflicts have emerged, along with new forms of organized crime and exploitation, and our need to understand them is more important than ever,” stated Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in her opening remarks at the 2024 Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) thematic discussions (delivered on her behalf by John Brandolino, Director for Treaty Affairs at UNODC).
“Just last month, for example, UNODC was present at the Climate Conference – COP29 – in Baku, to highlight the need to pay greater attention to crimes that affect the environment and their role in exacerbating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution,” Ms. Waly said. “At the same time, the global threat of terrorism has evolved as terrorist groups exploit new technologies and gaps in the rule of law to expand their operations. And cybercrime has become an ever more pressing concern around the world,” she continued.
However, Ms. Waly noted, there are some encouraging signs of progress. “Earlier this year, Member States agreed on a landmark new cybercrime text, which is now awaiting final adoption by the General Assembly later this month. We have updated standards and guidance on financial integrity, beneficial ownership and proceeds of crime. And we have created new networks for cooperation, along with new tools to build capacities while developing our knowledge base through new research products.”
The CCPCJ, the United Nations’ policy-making body on crime prevention and criminal justice, held its thematic discussions from 2-4 December. Since 2021, these discussions have provided an annual platform for participants from Member States, international organizations, academics and civil society to share information, good practices and lessons learned in crime prevention and criminal justice.
“Its relevance continues to grow as the global landscape evolves,” stressed the Executive Director, highlighting that they “address a broad range of issues, from depriving criminal networks of their illegally acquired proceeds, to countering terrorism in all its forms, to tackling emerging forms of crime.”
The thematic discussions in 2024 focused on the areas of international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime as reflected in pillar IV of the Kyoto Declaration. Pillar IV highlights international cooperation, including through capacity-building and technical assistance; international cooperation to deprive criminals of their proceeds of crime; terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and new, emerging and evolving forms of crime.
On 7 March 2021, the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted by consensus the Kyoto Declaration on Advancing Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: Towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In its resolution A/RES/76/181 entitled “Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice”, which was prepared by the Commission, the Assembly endorsed the Kyoto Declaration and requested, inter alia, in para. 11, that the Commission hold intersessional thematic discussions to effectively follow up on the Kyoto Declaration through the sharing of information, good practices and lessons learned. That request was reiterated in resolution A/RES/77/231, A/RES/78/223 and in the follow-up resolution recommended by ECOSOC for adoption by the GA in July 2024. Three rounds of thematic discussions have been held in 2021-2023 on advancing crime prevention (2021), advancing the criminal justice system (2022) and promoting the rule of law (2023). The fourth thematic discussion focused on promoting international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime (2024).
UNODC organized a side event to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the margins of the CCPCJ Thematic Discussions. Under the title “Achieving SDG 16 for, with and by persons with disabilities: Towards an inclusive and sustainable future Event marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities”, delegations to the CCPCJ Thematic Discussions came together with disability inclusion experts to discuss how to address crimes against persons with disabilities and how to ensure equal access to justice for persons with disabilities throughout the criminal justice system. The meeting was held with international sign interpretation and closed captioning – which were provided for the first time during a meeting of this kind.
