Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform

Introduction

Crime prevention and criminal justice strategies must be gender responsive, human rights-compliant and respect the rule of law. As the guardian of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, which promote and protect human rights in the administration of justice, UNODC through its Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section (Division for Treaty Affairs) aims to help reduce crime, to ensure the operation of fair, effective, inclusive, transparent and accountable criminal justice institutions, and to promote equal access to justice for all. A brochure on the work of the Section can be found here.

The Global Programme on People-centred Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform (GLOJS8) is managed by the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section and constitutes the main vehicle to support Member States to prevent crime and strengthen capacities of criminal justice systems in alignment with international standards and human rights; to operate more effectively within the framework of the rule of law while applying a gender perspective and paying particular attention to groups facing structural impediments.

Holistic Approach

The Global Programme recognises that people in contact with criminal justice systems are often in vulnerable situations or belong to groups that have specific rights and needs in the criminal justice system and seeks to promote people-centred and human rights-based responses to crime, that are effective in securing public safety. It supports efforts to achieve targets under several of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 16.

Access to Justice
Evidence-based Crime Prevention
Violence Against Children and Gender-responsive Justice
Violence Against Children and Justice for Children
Prison and Penal Reform

UN Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

The work of UNODC in crime prevention and criminal justice reform is guided by the UN standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice. The UN standards and norms are sets of rules, principles, and guidelines relating to different aspects of criminal justice, such as responding to violence against women, protecting the rights of children, and prison reform. Most of the UN standards and norms are adopted through General Assembly or Economic and Social Council resolutions.

The Compendium of UN standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice is available for download in: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Russian.

Recent reports of the Secretary-General on the use and application of UN standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice are also available for download: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 , 2021, 2022

Development of draft model strategies on reducing reoffending

CONTACT

For more information on UNODC’s work on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, please consult UNODC website: www.unodc.org. You can also email us at unodc@un.org.

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform

Introduction

Holistic Approach

UN Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

CONTACT

Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Reform Sitemap