Qatar has underlined that the Doha Declaration adopted by the 13th Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is a “historic document and an integrated international road map.”
Delivering a speech to the 27th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, currently in session in Vienna, Austria, Major General Dr Abdullah Yousif al-Mal, Adviser to the Minister of Interior and representative of Qatar, said that the Doha Declaration has integrated crime prevention and criminal justice into the wider United Nations agenda and led the international community’s efforts to address organised crime and the establishment of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems, the consolidation of the rule of law and the achievement of sustainable development.
By implementing the recommendations of the Doha Declaration, Qatar, in co-operation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has adopted a unique initiative in the history of the United Nations congresses on crime prevention.
The initiative – The World Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration – aimed at assisting states, particularly developing countries, in implementing these recommendations in four main areas: judicial integrity, youth crime prevention through sport, rehabilitation of prisoners and education for justice, Dr al-Mal stated.
He added that “with the launch of this programme in November 2015, we have seen a great international welcome and the desire of states to benefit from its activities. The latest statistics of the United Nations showed that the number of countries benefiting from the projects of the global programme has reached 121. The programme has reached more than 13,000 stakeholders in more than 180 countries, most of them judges, sports coaches, academics, teachers and prison practitioners. And additionally, awareness campaigns have reached more than 180 countries.
He noted that the most recent activities of the International Programme were the Conference of Senior Judges and Chiefs of Supreme Courts held in Vienna on 9 and 10 April, 2018, the largest gathering of judges organised by the United Nations in its history.
The conference witnessed the launch of the Global Integrity Network, in co-operation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), a unique educational programme that strengthens the relationship between education and crime prevention. It includes educational courses and textbooks for various stages of education on global citizenship, prevention of violent extremism and achievement of sustainable development goals through education, he added.
He called upon all member-states and United Nations bodies concerned to participate in the activities of this programme, which will be implemented until 2020, and to draw lessons from the World Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration as a unique experience in the United Nations Register and as a model for future projects in the operational, legislative and policy areas that meet the needs of States.
He also welcomed the attention of the international community towards the dangers of cybercrime, its increasing links to transnational organised crime and its efforts to curb the use of cyberspace for terrorists or political aims that are intended to destabilise states, intervene in their internal affairs and trigger crises. Qatar supports the efforts of the Expert Group on Cybercrime, he underlined.
He stressed the importance of international co-operation and capacity building in the development and strengthening of the efforts of states to address cybercrime, calling for the criminalisation of all forms of illegal use of cyberspace.
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