By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: The 13th United Nation Congress on Prevention of Crime and Criminal Justice (UN Crime Congress) concluded yesterday with a vow to fight challenges against combating crime and implement the Doha declaration.
On the first day of the congress all member states of the Doha Declaration agreed to a number of national, regional, and international programmes to fulfil obligations over the next five years and foster crime prevention and criminal justice with a humane approach.
The Doha Declaration stresses the commitment and political will of member states to implement comprehensive crime prevention and criminal justice strategies. These policies will work to promote the rule of law nationally and internationally.
“We must adopt a unified approach in meeting the present and future challenges in the rule of law and ensuring sustainable development,” said H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Interior Minister and President of the 13th UN Crime Congress, in his closing remarks.
“You have confirmed your commitment and political will to foster and strengthen the rule of law and prevent all forms of organised crimes. You have also contributed to the efforts of the international community in crime prevention and criminal justice,” he added.
The 13th UN Crime Congress unanimously adopted all reports with amendments recommended by delegates from the member states yesterday, the last day of the event, at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).
The Congress adopted the reports of Committee I and Committee II and Agenda No. 7 after eight days of discussions over 230 meetings and workshops on how to tackle crimes such as transnational trafficking in persons, weapons, drugs, violence against women and children and new forms of emerging crimes.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser appreciated the work of all delegates comprising high officials, UN agencies, representatives from civil societies and various institutions in drafting recommendations over eight days in Doha.
“We have agreed upon adopting a humane approach in preventing crime. This Congress has achieved success in urging the implementation of the Doha Declaration and the recommendations over the next five years,” he said.
Calling upon all countries to fight under-development, poverty, unemployment, crime, global terrorism and all forms of violence and extremism, he said: “We call upon all member states, in co-operation with the UNODC to follow up on the implementation of recommendations of the Doha Declaration. Qatar will support all these efforts.”
Japan will host the 14th UN Congress in Tokyo in 2020.
“I’m sure you return home with renewed determination to carry out the ambitious plans we have adopted. I’m hopeful we shall meet once again in Tokyo in 2020 after achieving the recommendations of the 13th UN Crime Congress,” Sheikh Khalifa Al Thani said.
The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Yury Fedotov in his closing remarks said that the 13th UN Crime Congress had set a very high bar for the future, and that the key task now was to turn the Congress’s Declaration into action.
“This Congress has provided a solid platform for the international community to recognise the tangible links between the rule of law and sustainable development. We must build on those links as we set our sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years,” he said.
The Peninsula
