27 May 1988

16th plenary meeting

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,

Bearing in mind its resolutions 1986/11 of 21 May 1986, 1987/49 of 29 May 1987 and 1987/53 of 28 May 1987, and General Assembly resolution 42/59 of 30 November 1987,

Noting that 1988 is the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the programme of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and that the scope and extent of criminal activity have assumed dimensions that could not have been foreseen by Member States when they entrusted the United Nations with a leading role in this field,

Emphasizing the central role of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control in assisting the Council in the preparations for the quinquennial congresses on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders and in developing the programme of work of the United Nations, as specified by the General Assembly in its resolution 32/60 of 8 December 1977 and by the Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1979/19 of 9 May 1979,

Conscious that the effective management of the increasing range of United Nations activities in crime prevention and criminal justice, and the efficient preparation of the quinquennial congresses, require professional, technical and specialized work on the part of the United Nations Secretariat, as well as close involvement on the part of the Committee,

Noting with concern that the resources available to the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat have decreased, while the commitments of the United Nations in this field have increased,

1. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General;

2. Acknowledges the work accomplished by the United Nations Secretariat in implementing its programme of work, including progress in the preparations for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, following the directives of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control and the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council, as specified in its resolutions 1986/11 and 1987/53, while recognizing the major tasks still to be undertaken;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the United Nations programme of work in crime prevention and criminal justice is supported by adequate resources through such measures as appropriate redeployment of staff and funds, including redeployment from relevant departments at Headquarters, and to ensure that the specialized and technical nature of the programme and the high priority attached by Member States to crime prevention and criminal justice are fully reflected in the management and staffing of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch;

4. Takes note with satisfaction of the interest shown in, and the support given to, the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch by many Governments, as well as by non-governmental organizations and the professional community, which have been involved in the preparations for the Eighth Congress, and invites them to continue to participate actively in such preparations;

5. Welcomes the appointment of the Secretary-General of the Eighth United Nations Congress;

6. Urges the Secretary-General of the United Nations to pay particular attention to the operational aspects of the programme of work, specifically to assist interested countries in developing self-reliance in the area of crime prevention through human resources development, the reinforcement of national machinery, the promotion of joint training activities and the development of pilot and demonstration projects, and invites the United Nations Development Programme and the Department of Technical Co-operation for Development of the United Nations Secretariat and other agencies that provide funding for technical co-operation to continue to provide effective support and assistance for this endeavour;

7. Encourages Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, in co-operation with the United Nations Secretariat, to play an active role in the formulation and implementation of technical co-operation projects in crime prevention and criminal justice and to allocate adequate resources and expertise for technical assistance activities through, inter alia, the United Nations Trust Fund for Social Defence, and urges the Secretary-General to strengthen existing interregional advisory services;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to foster further close collaboration between the United Nations Secretariat and the United Nations regional and interregional institutes for crime prevention and criminal justice and to co-ordinate the activities of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Branch with those of the institutes, particularly through the reinforcement of existing contacts, the crime information network, substantive support of technical co-operation projects, staff secondment and exchange of expertise and research findings;

9. Further requests the Secretary-General to continue to explore ways and means of ensuring the optimal functioning of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control;

10. Invites the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to give priority attention at its tenth session to reviewing the progress made in the preparations for the Eighth Congress and to make specific recommendations thereon, including recommendations on the staff resources to be provided for the preparation and duration of the Congress, to the Economic and Social Council at its first regular session of 1989;

11. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Economic and Social Council, at its first regular session of 1989, on the implementation of the present resolution, taking into account the conclusions and recommendations of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its tenth session.