30th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice | Agenda Item 9: Follow-up to the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and preparations for the Fifteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
As delivered by Christine Cline, Division Chief, Office of Global Program and Policy, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement
Thank you, chair.
As we reflect on the 14th UN Crime Congress and consider the way forward, we must first applaud the host government, Japan, for its resilience and resourcefulness in delivering a successful event against all odds.
Above all, we congratulate Japan for delivering the most important outcome of the Crime Congress: the Kyoto Declaration, which lays forth an impressive set of priorities and commitments that will guide our work through at least the next four years.
The Kyoto Declaration is a testament to the spirit of consensus that prevails in Vienna. Delegations that participated in nearly two years of negotiations can attest that even though our disagreements seemed at times to threaten adoption, we found a way to come together in the end, just as we always do in Vienna.
We must not let those two years of negotiations go to waste. The Commission must act now to turn the commitments made in the Kyoto Declaration into action.
My delegation is keen to advance Kyoto Declaration commitments on addressing urban crime. It is more important than ever to promote effective, evidence-based policies around crime prevention in urban areas, particularly among youth in high-risk situations, who can be vulnerable to other criminal activity, including gang recruitment.
The United States is also working to empower communities to combat and prevent gun violence. So far this year, guns have taken the lives of an estimated 11,000 Americans. By reducing gun violence, we can reduce one of the most urgent threats to safety and public health in our urban communities.
We are also especially eager to implement commitments made in the Kyoto Declaration on the pressing issue of cybercrime, especially given COVID-19, taking into account the need for a multi-stakeholder approach, including partnerships with the tech industry. As we consider these commitments, we are mindful that it is vitally important that our experts and practitioners continue to have a forum in Vienna available to discuss these issues and exchange best practices on cybercrime.
In conclusion, chair, the United States urges our fellow Commission members not to lose sight of the Kyoto Declaration, even as we prepare for the 15th Crime Congress. [AS APPROPRIATE: We welcome the update from the secretariat on preparations for the next Congress. / We would welcome additional information from the secretariat on contingency planning for the next Congress if no Member State is available to host, including the possibility of holding the event in Vienna.]
Thank you, chair.