Contribution to the Work of the United Nations
UNAFEI contributes to the United Nations in formulating and implementing its global policies on crime prevention and offender treatment. UNAFEI faculty attend the regular sessions of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Commission), a functional committee of the Economic and Social Council, every year and report on UNAFEI’s activities and research findings. In selecting the themes of its courses and seminars, UNAFEI pays due attention to the priority areas of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, identified by the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission as well as the needs of the participating countries.
UNAFEI is also actively involved in the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Congress) held once every five years, and has co-ordinated one of its Workshops at each Congress since the Tenth Congress. At the Fourteenth Congress held in Kyoto in 2021 (Kyoto Congress), UNAFEI coordinated a workshop on “Reducing Reoffending: identifying risks and developing solutions” in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). UNAFEI director and scientific moderator of the workshop SETO Takeshi reported the results of the discussions to the Plenary Session of the Kyoto Congress, which were reflected in the Kyoto Declaration.
The Kyoto Declaration confirms that the rule of law is the foundation of sustainable development and promotes multi-stakeholder partnerships for strengthening international cooperation in the field of criminal justice, including technical assistance, and crime prevention. This philosophy is precisely in line with the long-term international cooperation goals of UNAFEI.
The Workshops UNAFEI co-ordinated at the Congress
| No. | Year | Venue | Theme of the Workshop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 2021 | Kyoto, Japan | Reducing Reoffending: identifying risks and developing solutions |
| 13th | 2015 | Doha, Qatar | Women: treatment of offenders, rehabilitation and social reintegration |
| 12th | 2010 | Salvador, Brazil | Strategies and Best Practices against Overcrowdingin Correctional Facilities |
| 11th | 2005 | Bangkok,Thailand | Measures to Combat Economic Crime, including Money-laundering |
| 10th | 2000 | Vienna, Austria | Crimes Related to the Computer Network |
Contribution to the Commission
The Commission, consisting of 40 Member States including Japan, is a functional committee of the Economic and Social Council and is the central body within the United Nations system providing policy guidance on crime prevention and criminal justice.
According to the General Assembly Resolution "Creation of an effective United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme" (A/RES/46/152, adopted Dec. 18, 1991), UNAFEI is one of the United Nations institutes comprising the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network (PNI), and as such, is required to keep the Commission informed of its programme of work and its implementation. Accordingly, UNAFEI attends the regular sessions of the Commission, independent of the Japanese government delegation.
Photo:Heinz Pfeiffer
