21 May 1986

16th plenary meeting

Initial review of the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in crime prevention and criminal justice

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling the responsibility assumed by the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice under Economic and Social Council resolution 155 C (VII) of 13 August 1948 and General Assembly resolution 415 (V) of 1 December 1950, in particular the convening of the quinquennial United Nations congresses,

Concerned at the escalation of crime and violence in many parts of the world, requiring the constant attention of the world community,

Bearing in mind the importance of the role of the United Nations in raising the awareness of the international community of crime problems and the urgent need for more effective policies and strategies in crime prevention and criminal justice,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 35/171 of 15 December 1980, in which the Assembly endorsed the Caracas Declaration and urged the Secretary-General to implement the conclusions concerning the new perspectives for international co-operation in respect of crime prevention adopted by the Sixth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,

Reiterating the necessity for the international community to make concerted and systematic efforts to strengthen technical and scientific co-operation in crime prevention and criminal justice and to formulate fair, humane and effective policies directed towards crime control in the context of different political and cultural systems and different stages of economic and social development,

Stressing the urgent need to improve regional, interregional and international co-operation and co-ordination and to make concerted efforts to combat crime in its multifaceted aspects,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1979/19 of 9 May 1979 on the functions and long-term programme of work of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control,

Recognizing the important contributions of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control in elaborating draft instruments, model agreements and guidelines in crime prevention and criminal justice,

Noting the continuous increase in the work-load of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, particularly in relation to the mandates approved by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 40/32 of 29 November 1985, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General, in his report to the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, to initiate, as a matter of urgency, a review of the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in crime prevention and criminal justice, including the United Nations regional and interregional institutes, paying special attention to improving the co-ordination of relevant activities within the United Nations in all related areas,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the initial review of the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice;

2. Reaffirms the importance of the quinquennial United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, the productive results of which have been widely recognized and endorsed by Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and the academic community;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for the optimal functioning of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, including more active intersessional involvement of the Committee members at the national, regional and interregional levels in considering priority questions and preparing recommendations thereon, without additional cost to the United Nations;

4. Urges the Secretary-General to look critically at the existing structure and level of management of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, with a view to strengthening its capacity and status commensurate with its responsibilities, including the provision of additional expertise to respond more effectively to mandates given by the legislative bodies concerning new programme areas, taking into account current budgetary constraints and the need to redeploy resources, as necessary;

5. Endorses the recommendations made by the Secretary-General in paragraph 82 of his report, urges the Secretary-General and the entities concerned to initiate the implementation of those recommendations and, in particular, invites the Secretary-General to make all efforts, within the existing resources allocated to the Branch and any extrabudgetary resources that may become available:

(a) To establish a global crime and criminal justice information network, with the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch as a focal point, in co-operation with the United Nations institutes and other entities concerned, including a mechanism for the centralization of inputs from non-governmental organizations and scientific institutions;

(b) To strengthen the critically needed interregional advisory services in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, to provide technical and regional advisers and additional interregional advisers as quickly as budgetary resources permit, and to strengthen the professional capacity of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch to support, follow up and develop technical assistance projects and to co-ordinate the activities of the regional and interregional institutes in this regard;

(c) To ensure the full co-ordination of activities relating to crime prevention and criminal justice in the United Nations system, with a view to maximizing it and avoiding duplication, taking into account the pivotal role of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control in pursuance of Economic and Social Council resolution 1979/19;

(d) To strengthen public information activities to promote the dissemination of the Milan Plan of Action, the Guiding Principles for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in the Context of Development and a New International Economic Order and other international instruments and resolutions adopted by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and the General Assembly at its fortieth session;

6. Requests the United Nations funding agencies, particularly the United Nations Development Programme, to provide the United Nations institutes with the necessary resources to assist them in carrying out their programmes, and appeals to Governments of the respective regions to contribute generously and systematically to activities of technical co-operation undertaken by the institutes;

7. Appeals to Governments to contribute financially, through the United Nations Trust Fund for Social Defence, to the development of technical assistance activities and action-oriented research and training, particularly in the developing countries;

8. Takes note with satisfaction of the steps taken towards the establishment of an African institute for the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, urges the Secretary-General and all organizations and agencies involved in this project to take further steps to ensure its prompt creation, if possible before the end of 1986, and appeals to Governments in that region to co-operate fully in this respect and to promote the establishment of regional institutes in regions where they do not yet exist;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to the Committee at its tenth session and to the General Assembly at its forty-third session, taking into account the views of the Committee, and containing specific proposals on the implementation of the present resolution.