DOHA: The Community Police in Qatar is taking more efforts to spread awareness among the people to prevent crime, said a senior official yesterday.
During the high level segment meeting on the seventh day of the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the delegates discussed the subject ‘National Approaches to Public Participation in Strengthening Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’.
Speaking in the session, Dr Ahmad Hassan Al Hamadi, Head of Legal Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the concept of security has evolved in the past few years at an accelerated pace, where it has changed from the traditional concept to a community-based concept that focuses on the base of community participation.
The international conventions and earlier conferences in the field of crime prevention have stressed on the importance of civil society, especially the involvement of the community has become an essential component in preventing all kinds of crimes.
He said: “Despite the fact that the justice system in the State of Qatar allows each defendant in a criminal offense to be represented by lawyer before the courts and if he is unable to appoint a lawyer, the state bears the lawyer’s expenses, but the Criminal Justice, the police, the judiciary and prison are no longer able alone to achieve the modern security concept as they have themselves proven their inadequacy in combating crime.”
He also mentioned that the Community Police in Qatar is working keenly on spreading positive awareness about risks of crime among the community members including citizens and expatriates through organising annual visits and awareness programmes for communities and social and sports centres.
These programmes aim at introducing the rules and regulations of the country and raising the awareness of the public in crime prevention and bad behaviours and spreading security culture. The Community Policing Department has bagged the respect and appreciation of embassies and community heads and this has contributed to raise confidence and creating a kind of understanding.
In addition to this, there are other government organisations such as Qatari Association for Protection and Social Rehabilitation and Qatar Association for the Protection of Children and Women, (Aman), Social Rehabilitation Centre (Aween) and Qatar Association for Combating Human Trafficking, all of which are working on protection of targeted groups and family violence or those who are victims of that and treating the issues related with violence and abuse, Al Hamadi.
The high level event on Agenda item six at the 13th Crime Congress was chaired by Johannes Duhan, from the United Nations Secretariat.
Addressing the event he stated that all the states have recognized that public participation, and access to information, judicial and administrative procedures are important to promote sustainable development, adding that the Secretary-General has also pointed out in his statement that justice and advancement of safe and peaceful communities and institutions are the essential elements for achieving sustainable development goals.
He pointed out that the Doha Declaration has proved the support of Member States to develop and implement consultative and participatory processes in the promotion of crime prevention and criminal justice, including the role of all sectors of society for more effective preventive efforts.
He added that the sixth item of the agenda gives us an excellent opportunity to conduct a deeper study on the ways in which countries achieved advancement in participatory processes and to determine future action points.
He said that the worksheets deal with the expanded the role of technology and social networking on enhancing communication with the public, and the way of advancement of policy-making through e-governance systems. He underscored that it is also required to perceive the negative effects resulting from the information and communication technology, which may be used for promoting crime and violence as well.
DOHA: The 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will conclude today with the President of the Congress, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister of Qatar, and the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Yury Fedotov, making closing statements, at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The UN Crime Congress held in Doha since April 12, is the thirteenth edition of the congress which is held once in every five years. The Congress is held this year commemorating the 60th year of its inception.
The unique facts about the Doha edition of the Congress are the attendance of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in the Crime Congress for the first time, holding a three days youth forum targeting the youth, prior to the Crime Congress that discussed same subjects of the Congress in the same venue, completing the draft of the ‘Doha Declaration’ in advance of the congress, associated exhibition with the participation of more than 60 national and international agencies in the area of 10000 square feet and launching of the ‘Knowledge Center’ as part of the associated expo of Crime Congress as an international reference on crime prevention and criminal justice with booths representing 17 institutions under the United Nations.
The Peninsula
