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An addendum to this contribution will be submitted to the 2017 High-level Political Forum at a later stage, with the view to reflecting the action taken by the Commission at its twenty-sixth session (22 to 26 May 2017).
I.1. Contributions by the Commission of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable DevelopmentThe Commission has, since its establishment, been contributing to the commitments and policy developments of successive international development agendas. Its work has become increasingly relevant, following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, giving Member States an effective, proven, consensus-based forum to engage in discussions on gaps and lessons learned, thus providing a platform to improve the coherence of policy and to ensure that policy is based on the rule of law and integrity which positively influences outcomes across the development agenda. The 2030 Agenda also represents an opportunity for further cooperation and dialogue within the United Nations system in the areas that are within the remit of the Commission.
In its resolution 70/174, the General Assembly endorsed the Doha Declaration on Integrating Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice into the Wider United Nations Agenda to Address Social and Economic Challenges and to Promote the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, and Public Participation, as adopted at the high-level segment of the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, for which the Commission served as the preparatory body and which was held in Doha from 12 to 19 April 2015. In the Doha Declaration, Member States inter alia acknowledged that sustainable development and the rule of law were strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing, and that crime prevention and criminal justice should be integrated into the wider UN system.
In line with that resolution, and in fulfillment of its role within the review framework of the SDGs, the Commission has undertaken a review of the implementation of the Doha Declaration under a standing item of its agenda by supporting the operational, legislative and policy-related work required by Member States to make progress towards, and successfully achieve, the crime prevention and criminal justice goals and targets contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Commission counts on the support of Member States in translating the Doha Declaration into action and draws on the Declaration in its work to address crime in a broader development agenda.
The Commission has, in numerous resolutions, guidelines and its preparatory work leading to the adoption of major policy documents, such as the Doha Declaration, highlighted the need for Member States to uphold human dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, in particular for those affected by crime and those who may be in contact with the criminal justice system, including vulnerable members of society, regardless of their status, who may be subject to multiple and aggravated forms of discrimination, and to prevent and counter crime motivated by intolerance or discrimination of any kind. The Commission devotes particular attention to the specific needs of these vulnerable members of society in the context of corruption-free and inclusive societies for sustainable development, with a focus on a people-centred approach that provides access to justice for all and builds effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Access to justice for all is a focus area in UNODC’s work in supporting Member States in the establishment of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems.
Furthermore, the Commission has added to its agenda a standing item, entitled “Contributions by the Commission to the work of Economic and Social Council, in line with General Assembly resolution 68/1, including follow-up, review and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", under which the Commission discusses contributions to the work of the Council, as well as contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Additional information can be found on the following website: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/commissions-2030.html.
The Commission acts as the governing body of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Through the implementation of the United Nations Programme on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, UNODC supports Member States at the operational level by providing technical services designed to improve the development and implementation of crime prevention policies, national strategies and action plans, as well as by implementing sector-specific projects, including on preventing youth crime and victimization, violence against women and children, providing access to justice or social reintegration of offenders and combating corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism. UNODC also gathers and analyses comparable and reliable information on international crime trends and responses to crime with a view to supporting Member States develop evidence-based policies and to overcome the differences and complexities inherent in different legal frameworks and domestic approaches to crime statistics and data collection as well as to efficiently allocate national resources. In this context, UNODC provides technical advice to Member States and within the UN system on indicators and metrics in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice also as they are reflected in national implementation plans of the 2030 Agenda. The Commission also provides Member States with a platform to discuss valuable lessons learned, policy innovations and options to improve implementation. In these deliberations, efforts are informed by the Commission’s well-established analytical and research tools.
Upon the recommendation of the Commission and the Statistical Commission, in 2015, the Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution2 approving the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS), a tool that can considerably improve the collection and analysis of data on many of the SDG 16 indicators. As its custodian agency, UNODC is developing manuals and implementing technical assistance projects to support the ICCS implementation by Member States. Also, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Statistical Commission have agreed on a roadmap to strengthen the collection and quality of criminal justice statistics. The work of the Commission and UNODC, in providing inputs to the Secretary-General’s report on the progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, is informed by data systematically provided by Member States and reported on in parliamentary documentation prepared by the Secretariat and submitted for consideration by the Commission.
Every year, the Commission takes stock of the latest global trends on crime and criminal justice system using the mandated data collection managed by UNODC (Crime Trend Survey). Through this mechanism, the Commission regularly reviews progress made and setbacks on various themes covered by the Sustainable Development Goals in relation to violence against women (target 5.2), urban security (target 11.7), wildlife trafficking (target 15.7), violent crime (target 16.1), trafficking in persons (targets 5.2, 8.7 and 16.2), access to justice and rule of law (target 16.3), illicit financial flows, trafficking of firearms and organized crime (target 16.4), and corruption (target 16.5). Many of the indicators collected through the Commission’s data collection system (CTS) are used to monitor the SDGs globally by the Statistical Commission.
In Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda, States are called upon to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. Target 16.4 of that Goal seeks in particular to “by 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime”. Achieving this target will have a direct impact on sustainable economic development by protecting domestic resources and making them available for development, as well as by protecting equity, growth and employment prospects through the prevention of corruption, economic crime, and money laundering. In addition, it will improve prospects for the well-being and safety perception of populations, by removing the proceeds of crime from transnational organized crime and terrorists. The Commission’s work on Goal 16, supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, contributes to building the foundation for social and economic development, which requires a socially safe and economically dynamic environment, where the importance of the rule of law is recognized.
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