28 May 1987

17th plenary meeting

Preparations for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders

The Economic and Social Council,

Considering that in pursuance of General Assembly resolution 415 (V) of 1 December 1950 the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders is to be convened in 1990,

Bearing in mind General Assembly resolutions 32/59 and 32/60 of 8 December 1977 and 35/171 of 15 December 1980, in which the Assembly noted the importance of the United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders,

Welcoming General Assembly resolution 40/32 of 29 November 1985, in which the Assembly expressed its satisfaction with the report of the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and with the preparatory work carried out for it by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its seventh and eighth sessions and by the regional and interregional preparatory meetings convened in co-operation with the regional commissions, interregional and regional crime prevention institutes and interested Governments,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/45 of 25 May 1984 on the continuation of preparations for the Seventh Congress,

Recognizing the significant contributions of the congresses in the promotion and strengthening of international co-operation in crime prevention and criminal justice,

Determined to improve regional, interregional and international co-operation and co-ordination to achieve further progress in the formulation and implementation of United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice policy,

Acknowledging the need to promote further governmental, professional and public awareness of the issues related to crime prevention and criminal justice in the context of development, particularly in the preparatory phase of the Eighth Congress,

Conscious of the consensus expressed by the General Assembly in relation to the Milan Plan of Action and other resolutions and recommendations of the Seventh Congress and of the need to keep national authorities involved in the preparations for the Eighth Congress,

Having considered the relevant recommendations made by the Committee at its ninth session and bearing in mind that, in accordance with paragraph 2 of General Assembly resolution 32/60, the Committee is entrusted with the function of preparing the quinquennial United Nations congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders,

Taking note of the note by the Secretary-General on the preparations for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,

Taking note also of the report of the Secretary-General on the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice,

1. Approves the following provisional agenda for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, as recommended by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its ninth session:

1. Opening of the Congress;

2. Organizational matters;

3. Crime prevention and criminal justice in the context of development:

realities and perspectives of international co-operation;

4. Criminal justice policies in relation to problems of imprisonment, other penal sanctions and alternative measures;

5. Effective national and international action against: (a) organized crime; (b) terrorist criminal activities;

6. Prevention of delinquency, juvenile justice and the protection of the young: policy approaches and directions;

7. United Nations norms and guidelines in crime prevention and criminal justice: implementation and priorities for further standard setting;

8. Adoption of the report of the Congress;

2. Decides that item 3 should be considered in plenary meetings, the remaining items being dealt with by two main committees;

3. Encourages Governments to make preparations for the Congress by all appropriate means, with a view to formulating national position papers, and to consider including national correspondents in Congress delegations;

4. Invites Member States to submit, for consideration by the Eighth Congress, information to the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Congress in order to ensure continuity between the congresses;

5. Invites also the regional commissions, national correspondents, the regional and interregional institutes for the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, specialized agencies and other entities within the United Nations system, concerned intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council to become actively involved in the preparations for the Eighth Congress;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to take all necessary steps to ensure the successful undertaking of the preparatory activities for the Eighth Congress, as well as the success of the Congress itself, including the convening of the regional preparatory meetings and interregional meetings of experts in 1988 and 1989, and the commissioning of experts and consultants, selected with due regard to equitable geographical representation, to assist in the preparation of the necessary documentation and in the professional conduct of the proceedings of the Congress, in accordance with rule 60 of the provisional rules of procedure of the congresses and taking into account chapter IV of his report on the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice;

7. Requests the Secretary-General, in the organization of the Eighth Congress, to include the following activities:

(a) Lectures to be given by outstanding experts and scholars, taking into account the principle of equitable geographical distribution;

(b) A general meeting of national correspondents;

(c) Research workshops on appropriate topics related to the substantive items of the provisional agenda for the Eighth Congress as an integral part of the Congress;

8. Recommends that adequate provision be made for the participation of the regional commissions in the eleventh session of the Committee and the Eighth Congress;

9. Also requests the Secretary-General to facilitate the organization of:

(a) Ancillary meetings at the Congress site of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council concerning issues relating to substantive items of the provisional agenda for the Eighth Congress, in accordance with existing legislative regulations;

(b) Meetings of professional and geographical interest groups;

10. Further requests the Secretary-General to provide the necessary resources to the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs in order to enable its Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch to undertake, in an effective and timely manner, all the preparatory activities for the Eighth Congress;

11. Decides that the Chairman of the Committee should appoint special consultants from among the members of the Committee who may give advice on behalf of the Committee in respect of the regional and interregional preparatory meetings for the Eighth Congress;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to make available the necessary resources for the participation of the least developed countries in the regional preparatory meetings for the Congress and in the Congress itself;

13. Also requests the Secretary-General to provide resources, as required, to ensure a wide and effective programme of public information related to the preparations for the Congress.