15th UN Crime Congress: Plenary meeting 5 – 27 September 2026

Good afternoon, distinguished colleagues, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to call the fifth meeting of the conference to order. Let us continue with the list of speakers of the high-level segment in the plenary. Committee II will also begin its work, starting with workshop 2, on ensuring equal access to justice for all, towards safe and secure societies while respecting the rule of law. Now I have a pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency Ivan Gospodinov, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna. Please, Ambassador, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. It's a pleasure seeing you presiding over this high-level segment. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, allow me at the outset to express our sincere appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for their generous hospitality and for the impeccable organization of the Congress, particularly in a challenging security environment. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the delegation of the European Union and the joint pledge made on behalf of the European Union member states. Mr. President, Bulgaria welcomes the Abu Dhabi Declaration, an important diplomatic achievement that sets the international agenda for crime prevention and criminal justice for the next five years. The UN Crime Congress offers a unique opportunity for all of us to reaffirm the value of multilateralism in addressing increasingly complex and transnational forms of crime, including by finding sustainable solutions to emerging threats. It builds on our previous commitments and achievements, including the Kyoto Declaration, We should further strengthen international cooperation and coordination, share expertise and good practices, invest in innovation and capacity building, and develop effective and sustainable approaches to preventing and countering crime. Mr. President, Bulgaria's criminal justice is centered on strengthening the rule of law, improving the effectiveness of criminal proceedings, combating corruption and organized crime, protecting fundamental rights, and modernizing the enforcement of criminal sanctions. These priorities are closely linked to the Council of Europe and international human rights standards. The digital transformation is creating new opportunities for criminals, from online fraud and scams to the recruitment of young and vulnerable people by organizing criminal groups and extremist networks. At the same time, digital technologies offer important opportunities to strengthen crime prevention, detection, and investigation. We therefore need stronger law enforcement cooperation, better information sharing, and the effective use of technological and investigative tools to prevent and counter emerging forms of crime, while ensuring that our response remains firmly grounded in human rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, while we are talking about new digital technologies, we should not neglect the growing spread of illicit drugs, particularly synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances. This poses an increasing threat, especially to young people. We need stronger international cooperation to prevent and disrupt their production and trafficking, alongside effective prevention, treatment, and support services. Bulgaria is taking serious measures to combat the growing threat of synthetic drugs, strengthening prevention, law enforcement cooperation, and national capacities to identify and respond to emerging drug threats. We place particular emphasis on protecting young people and strengthening prevention at the local level. As an external border of the Schengen area of the European Union, Bulgaria has further strengthened its commitment to effective border management. We are closely working with regional partners, EU Member States, and international law enforcement authorities, both in the region and beyond, to enhance information sharing, operational cooperation, and our collective capacity to address broader crimes. In conclusion, Bulgaria believes that crime prevention must begin before individuals become victims or perpetrators. We therefore pledge to intensify efforts to prevent the recruitment and exploitation of children and young people, both online and offline. and address the vulnerabilities that make them targets for criminal networks. Bulgaria is committed to a comprehensive approach that combines prevention, awareness raising, education, international cooperation, and support for victims. Bulgaria will continue to strengthen access to protection, assistance, and support, while ensuring that the voices and expertise of civil society, academia, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders are reflected in our policy and international cooperation practices. Inclusive partnerships are essential if we are to build safer and more resilient societies. I thank you very much.

Thank you, Ambassador. Now I have a pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency, Mr. Shafq Ali Khan, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates. Please, Ambassador, you have the floor.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan warmly congratulates the UAE on hosting this Congress and wishes to record our deep appreciation for its gracious hospitality. We commend UNODC for its preparatory work for this conference. We welcome the Congress theme as both timely and forward-looking. Since the Kyoto Congress, the global crime landscape has grown profoundly complex. the socioeconomic drivers of the crime remain unaddressed, as reflected in the glaring inequalities and persistent underdevelopment. Criminal networks have leveraged rapid advances in digital and AI technologies to expand, diversify, and hide their illegal operations and profits. The convergence of these trends with global instability is exacting severe human, socioeconomic, and environmental costs. In this challenging backdrop, we are confident that the Congress will help galvanizing a more coordinated global action. Mr. President, we remain convinced that fostering sustainable development and rule of law are mutually reinforcing goals. Pakistan, therefore, calls for a renewed commitment to the 2030 Agenda as a firm anchor for effective crime prevention and criminal justice responses. Robust international cooperation remains indispensable in confronting emerging crime trends and challenges. Such cooperation must remain grounded in the UN Charter principles, while greater emphasis should be placed on strengthening national capacities. For developing countries, meaningful technical assistance and transfer of technology are critical to translating international commitments into effective action on the ground. We also underscore the need for safe, secure and responsible development and the use of new technologies and in this regard, encourage closer and stronger partnership between governments and private sector. Mr. President, Pakistan is fully committed to play its role in combating transnational organized crime. In confronting challenges of a transit state, we take pride in our long-standing contribution to addressing the world drug problem, including through record drug seizures and maintaining a poppy-free status for over two decades. Only last week, in coordination with our international partners, Pakistani law enforcement agencies seized 463 kilograms of Afghan origin crystal meth worth $21 million, leading to multiple arrests. We share global concerns that economic and governance challenges can lead to resumed opium cultivation and surge in synthetic drug manufacturing in Afghanistan. We are also gravely concerned about the emerging narco-terrorism nexus that has enabled terrorist groups to orchestrate deadly attacks in Pakistan from the Afghan soil. Mr. President, given the growing phenomenon of polycriminality, tackling corruption, money laundering, and illicit financial flows should remain a global priority. Criminal proceeds are systematically depriving developing countries of vital resources needed for development. Pakistan, therefore, calls for stronger international cooperation in denying safe havens and effectively addressing practical obstacles to asset recovery. Pakistan is steadfast in combating migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons. Under our comprehensive national action plan, we are particularly targeting digital and financial lifelines of criminal networks alongside robust law enforcement. We believe that expanding safe, regular, and affordable pathways for migration can make an important contribution to this effort. Pakistan remains seriously concerned about the steady rise in the acts of Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia. These hate crimes demand the same level of attention and response as other crimes based on identity. We therefore call for credible and effective measures against proliferation of hate speech, legal protection of victims of Islamophobia, and fostering mutual understanding and respect. Mr. President, fight against crime is a common and shared responsibility. As spelled out in the Abu Dhabi Declaration, our collective objective should be clear: to prevent crime before it occurs, to deliver justice where it is needed, to deny criminals the benefit of their activities and to ensure that no victim is left behind. Pakistan stands ready to work constructively with all member states towards achieving these shared objectives. I thank you, sir.

Thank you, Ambassador. Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Sidney Leon Ramiro, Ambassador of Brazil to the United Arab Emirates. Please, Ambassador, you have the floor.

Good afternoon. Let me start by congratulating the United Arab Emirates for hosting this meeting and the Secretariat for the organization of the Congress. Brazil attaches the highest priority to strengthening public security and combating organized crime. From our perspective, this challenge can only be addressed through a broad and integrated approach, firmly grounded on the rule of law and respect for human rights. We firmly believe that no country can confront today's criminal threat alone. International cooperation remains indispensable. The election of a Brazilian commissioner, Valdecir Kieza, the first Secretary General of Interpol that does not come from a developed country in the 100-year story of the organization, is a reflection of my country's belief in the importance of international cooperation. Brazil does not underestimate the challenge posed by organized crime. Criminal organizations undermine criminal public security, hinder sustainable development, and threaten the livelihood of our communities. Drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, environmental crimes, illegal mining, migrant smuggling, trafficking of persons, and financial crimes are not isolated phenomena. They are interconnected activities that increasingly sustain sophisticated criminal conglomerates operating across borders through complex logistical and financial structures. For this reason, Brazil's strategy focuses not only on arrests and seizures, but also on dismantling the economic foundations of criminal networks. We are committed to strengthening financial investigations, asset recovery mechanisms, intelligence cooperation, and international efforts against money laundering and illicit financial flows, including those generated by Brazilian criminals operating abroad. As President Lula stated before the United Nations General Assembly this week, effective action requires disrupting the flow of money and resources that sustain organized crime. Brazil is matching its commitment with concrete action. In Manaus, we established the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, bringing together public security authorities from all nine countries to strengthen cooperation against transnational criminal networks. Domestically, we have a reinforced coordination with police force, financial intelligence units, custom authorities, prosecutors, and judicial institutions. In 2025, Brazil launched out the largest operation against organized crime in its history, resulting in record seizures of drugs, illicit assets, and criminal proceeds. The federal police alone froze nearly $2 billion in assets linked to criminal organizations and seized more than 176 tons of cocaine. In addition, Brazil recently enacted new legislation to strengthen the fight against criminal organizations, including harsher penalties and more agile mechanisms for the confiscation of illicit assets. Mr. President, we are just weeks away from the Conference of Parties of the Convention of Organized Crime. This COP offers a unique opportunity for the international community to show its resolve to tackle crimes that affect the environment. This could be done through the adoption of an additional protocol to the convention, focusing on the list of wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, and waste trafficking. Environmental crimes have become one of the most profitable forms of transnational organized crime. It represents a serious threat to biodiversity, sustainable development, public security, and the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities. Illegal mining, wide wife trafficking, illicit trafficking of waste, and illicit trade in minerals and precious metals generates substantial profit for criminal organizations. and it caused profound social and environmental damage. Despite the growing scale of these crimes, important gaps remain in the international legal framework, limiting international cooperation, financial investigations and prosecutions. At the next Conference of the Parties to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, Brazil, together with a growing group of countries, is submitting a draft resolution to launch negotiations on the additional protocol on crimes affecting the environment. Let me call upon all member states to support this draft resolution. Mr. President, Brazil also remains fully committed to combating cyber crimes and strengthening international cooperation in cyberspace. We welcome progress achieved through the Convention against Cybercrime and recognize the importance of ensuring its effective implementation. In this context, Ambassador Eduardo Saboya, in his capacity as Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, will continue to work constructively with all delegations to facilitate consensus-based solutions regarding the rules of procedure and discussions on a possible future protocol. Brazil also reaffirms its commitment to promote an access to justice for all. Effective, accessible, and people-centered justice are essential to strengthening trust and institutions, empowering victims, reducing impunity, promoting social inclusion, and preventing crime. Access to justice is therefore an indispensable component of peaceful, resilient, and inclusive societies. It's our collective effort to achieve sustainable development, goal 16. Mr. President, no country can successfully confront transnational organized crime on its own. Brazil stands ready to work with all member states, firmly grounded on the rule of law and international law. This is the only way we can advance the fight against organized crime and build a safer, more just, and more sustainable future for us all. Thank you so much.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Her Excellency, Ms. Samia Ilham Amar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tunisia, via video statement.

Mr. President, His Excellency Abdullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice of the United Arab Emirates, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Tunisia expresses its high appreciation to the government of the brotherly United Arab Emirates for hosting this important event. My country also extends its consideration to the executive director of UNODC and to the secretariat for the support provided to member states through capacity building programs and technical assistance based on their national priority and in line with their international obligations. This Congress takes place in the context of an extremely complex international situation, marked by escalating tensions and growing regional conflicts that threaten peace and security and create unprecedented challenges to the rule-based international order. Firmly believing in multilateralism and in the importance of diplomacy as the only path towards resolving conflicts, Tunisia calls upon all member states to give priority to peaceful solutions, strengthen dialogue and cooperation to preserve international peace and security in full compliance with the founding principles of the UN Charter, especially the respects of state sovereignty and territorial integrity. More than ever, we must work together to face the current energy crisis. which is deeply impacting the global economy with unbearable consequences on developing countries that undermine their stability and their capacities to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In such a critical context, our common duty and shared responsibility lie in improving the multilateral system by increasing global awareness of evolving threats and challenges related to the misuse of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cyber attacks. It is also our shared responsibility to increase cooperation to prevent and mitigate the risks of terrorism, to tackle transnational criminal networks, to implement a comprehensive and integrated approach against all form of illicit trafficking, related to human smuggling, drugs expansion, suspicious financial flows, and cultural property. Tunisia is committed to the principle of the rule of law, justice, and crime prevention as essential conditions for the achievement of the sustainable development goals. My country is undertaking continuous effort to strengthen crime prevention through an approach addressing underlying causes by reinforcing prevention policies and tackling related social and economic factors. Furthermore, progress is achieved in modernizing the judicial system with a view to reducing delays and simplifying procedures. Moreover, particular attention is devoted to strengthening cybersecurity in accordance with the core principle of the United Nation Convention on Cybercrime. Committed to improving human rights, Tunisia adopted in 2017 a law related to the eliminations of violence against women based on a proactive and comprehensive approach covering prevention, prosecution, and coordination between all the stakeholders. The government of Tunisia pays also great attention to the international cooperation in the field of the recovery of smuggled assets. Stolen assets should be returned to the state of origin in a timely manner, without conditionality and in full respect of their sovereign rights. In this regard, we urge all member states to afford each other the widest measure of international cooperation and work together more effectively as equal partners. It is as well essential to dismantle organized criminal networks involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Partnership between countries of origin, transit, and destination is key to a comprehensive response to this phenomenon, which addresses its root causes and establishes sustainable solutions to the challenges faced, particularly by developing countries. In this context, Tunisia, while remaining committed to its obligations under international humanitarian law in rescuing and assisting migrants does not accept the establishment of transit or settlement platforms for irregular migrants on its territory. Mr. President, we cannot reach our common objective to eradicate crime and achieve justice for all without addressing in equal manners conflicts around the world. especially the continuous systematic destruction in Gaza and in the West Bank, which are of great concern, considering persistent impunity. Once again, we firmly call on the international community to hold the rights of the Palestinian on their land and to address crimes of genocide committed against them according to the relevant UN resolutions, as well as the related orders and decision issued by the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice. I thank you.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to Mr. David Berard, Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Secretary's Special Representative to the UN Crime Congress. Please, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you to the United Arab Emirates for hosting this Congress. The United States of America values our deep and enduring friendship. Every five years, the world's largest counter crime gathering convenes. Its purpose is to stop criminals who threaten our citizens and to deliver justice for those who they have already harmed. Justice for a 17-year-old boy from Texas who died from fentanyl trafficked across our southern border. Justice for a 15-year-old boy from Kentucky who was shot and killed while trying to protect his mother from an attempted rape by an illegal alien. Justice for a woman from Illinois who lost $1.5 million to a romance scammer overseas and was found dead soon after. Every one of these Americans was lost to threats this Congress refuses to confront. Transnational criminal organizations are not intimidated by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Cartels are not threatened by panels on gender mainstreaming or roundtables on the triple planetary crisis. They laugh at them. The United States demands this Congress return to its purpose, preventing crime and delivering criminal justice. Our hosts, the United Arab Emirates, have taken action. They established a national drug enforcement authority. They extradited U.S. sanctioned drug kingpin Daniel Kinahan to face justice in Ireland, and they have launched a UAE cyber factory to build sovereign, superintelligence-powered cybersecurity capabilities to combat cybercrime. That is the kind of action this Congress should be built upon. Instead, this Congress's declaration is far removed from tangible steps against crime and stretches well beyond our treaty obligations. Were it not for America's and a handful of serious partners insistence, the phrase transnational organized crime would scarcely appear in the text at all. We reject the sections on gender ideology, on sustainable development goals, and the so-called right to development, and on transfer of technology, and we denounce the imbalance only one paragraph on alien smuggling, only one paragraph on counter-narcotics, and a declaration on crime. Under President Trump's leadership, the United States is delivering unprecedented results against crime. We identified illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. We designated violent cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. We secured our border. We captured a record number of criminals from the FBI's Most Wanted list. We drove homicides down in the United States by over 50% compared to recent peaks. And American enforcement reaches beyond just our borders. Since January 2025, we have secured more than 100 convictions and 28 extraditions of alien smugglers and human traffickers. We have helped foreign governments seize over 100 tons of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl. We captured Venezuelan narco terrorist Nicolas Maduro, who now faces American justice in New York. We have executed lethal kinetic strikes against narco terrorists trafficking poison by sea. And we launched a whole of government strike force against transnational scam indicants. We will stop at nothing to keep the American people safe. This includes lawful, legitimate, and appropriate sanctions to target behavior that threatens our national security and global stability. The United States has set the standard, and we expect every serious government to meet it. Imagine what this Congress could be, a gathering where every government reports honestly on its fight against criminal networks, a gathering where the strongest counter crime measures spread from one country to the next because they work, a gathering criminals fear because what comes out of it means consequences for them. That is the Congress, the crime Congress the world needs, and that is the crime Congress we can build together. The United States is ready to begin, because our citizens deserve nothing less. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I have a pleasure to call Mr. Giorgi Dgbadze, Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia. Please, Deputy Minister, you have the floor.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. It is my honor to address the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on behalf of Georgia, a country firmly committed to strengthening the rule of law and fostering safer, more resilient societies. We gather here in Abu Dhabi as our world undergoes unprecedented transformation. Technological innovation has connected humanity in ways incredible to previous generations, opening doors to global collaboration, economic growth, and to the exchange of knowledge. Yet, this very connectivity has also empowered organized crime, corruption networks, terrorism, violent extremism, and malicious cyber actors who exhibit borders, legal gaps, and technological innovations to advance their illicit agendas. It is very important to emphasize that Georgia stands firmly committed to the collective framework embodied by the United Nations, and we believe effective crime prevention is the backbone of peace, security, and sustainable development. We deeply appreciate the United Nations steadfast and unwavering support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized borders. Distinguished colleagues, Georgia takes a proactive approach to crime prevention. True prevention begins before a crime is even committed. Through integrated education initiatives and public awareness campaigns, we are cultivating a culture of lawfulness and civic responsibility among young people. At the same time, we are reaching out to vulnerable groups across our society, identifying risk factors early to ensure that fewer juveniles and adults are entertained from a pro-social law-respecting ways of life. We place equal emphasis on the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals in conflict with the law. We continue to strengthen community supervision through probation, parole, and non-custodial sentences. They are essential replacements to imprisonment that reduce recidivism and support successful reintegration. Building on these practices, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia has established a comprehensive three-level framework for crime prevention, encompassing primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. This strategy addresses the root causes of criminality at every stage, from general societal awareness and focused early intervention and post-conviction rehabilitation. However, building a truly resilient crime prevention system, prevention cannot rely on public institutional alone. The state cannot walk this path by itself. The role of communities, private sector, and academia is equally fundamental. By consolidating and coordinating the efforts of stakeholders and across beyond and public sector, we create a robust network of long-lasting capabilities for reintegration. Ladies and gentlemen, This Congress plays an essential role in shaping our collective response to modern security challenges, providing a vital platform of aligned strategies and shared best practices in striving towards our common goal of safer societies. Georgia warmly welcomes this opportunity to share our own experiences and learn more the valuable insights of the international community. On behalf of the Georgian delegation, I wish you all a highly successful event marked by meaningful discussions and strengthening partnerships. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I have a pleasure to give the floor to Mr. Valdeti Urquiza, Secretary General of International Criminal Police Organization, Interpol, via video message.

Distinguished guests, in today's interconnected world, crime moves faster than ever before, crossing borders, exploiting new technologies, and operating across jurisdictions, with unprecedented speed and sophistication. No country can address these threats alone. Effective crime prevention and the protection of the rule of law therefore depend on the strong, trusted and truly global law enforcement cooperation. Interpol is uniquely positioned to deliver that cooperation through our 196 member countries. as the world's only international organization mandated to provide daily operational support to law enforcement worldwide. Interpol helps countries prevent, detect, and disrupt transnational crime while fully respecting national sovereignty, human rights, political neutrality, and the rule of law. What makes Interpol unique is our ability to transform international cooperation into operational results. Through our global network of national central bureaus within national law enforcement systems, member countries are connected securely and in real time. Our secure communications network allows police officers around the world to exchange urgent information, access global criminal databases, and convert data into actionable intelligence. This capability directly supports the Congress objective of strengthening data collection, analysis, and information sharing to better protect people and our planet. Interpol's Notices and Diffusion System remains one of the most powerful instruments of international police cooperation. These alerts enable member countries to share critical information rapidly and coordinate action across borders, with Red Notices daily playing a vital role in helping locate fugitives sought for serious crimes. And the new Silver Notice, launched in 2025, marked an important step forward in tracing criminal assets, disrupting illicit financial networks and supporting the recovery of the proceeds of crime. The challenges discussed at this Congress underscore the need for innovation, agility and collective action. Interpol is advancing data-driven approaches to crime prevention to strengthen resilience and uphold the rule of law. Our collective success will depend on our ability to harness the opportunities of the digital age responsibly and inclusively. Together, we can ensure that international law enforcement cooperation remains a powerful force for security, justice, and sustainable development, protecting people and our planet while leaving no one behind, acting together against crime. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Ms. Kayo Ishihara, United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the government of the United Arab Emirates for hosting this fascinating Congress and to UNODC for its excellent organization. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, UNIFER highly commends UNODC's efforts to advance the international crime prevention and criminal justice agenda. We firmly believe that the PNIs, in close cooperation with UNODC, play an important role in supporting these global efforts. As the oldest PNI, UNAFE has provided training programs for criminal justice practitioners for more than 60 years since its establishment in 1962. Our activities address the evolving needs of the Member States and are closely aligned with the priority areas of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme. We are proud to announce that the total number of UNAFE alumni has reached 6,800. furthermore un remains fully committed to promoting the effective use of United Nations standards and norms in this regard unfe welcomes the adoption of the new un model strategies on reducing reoffending the Kyoto model strategies unfe is pleased to have contributed to laying the groundwork for the development of the Kyoto Model strategies through its organization of Workshop 2 of the Kyoto Congress on Reducing Reoffending. Mr. President, through its international, regional and bilateral training programmes, UNAFE has already begun supporting Member States in strengthening measures to reduce reoffending while making the best use of the Kyoto Model strategies. UNAFE strongly encourages Member States to utilize this valuable instrument and stands ready to support its implementation by bridging policy and practice through knowledge sharing and capacity building programs. To conclude, UNAFE remains committed to working closely with Member States, UNODC, fellow PNIs, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, ACPF, and other stakeholders to advance innovative, inclusive, and human-centered approaches to crime prevention and criminal justice. Together, let us accelerate our efforts to uphold the rule of law, protect the dignity of all people, and advance the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, ensuring that no one is left behind. I thank you for your attention.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe. Please, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, first of all, allow me to warmly thank the authorities of the United Arab Emirates for the warm hospitality that they have given to us, and of course to our colleagues at UNODC for the excellent organization of this event. Ladies and gentlemen, international cooperation needs results. And for nearly seven decades, the Council of Europe has developed legal tools for genuine criminal justice cooperation. Their value lies in the operational nature and effectiveness in practice. The Council of Europe is a regional body with a global normative force when it comes to setting criminal law standards. We are fully committed to multilateralism. and to a partnership with the United Nations and other international actors. Many of the Council of Europe's 230 treaties are relevant to fighting transnational crime. They address extradition, mutual legal assistance, transfer of sentenced persons, cybercrime, trafficking, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, environmental crimes, counterfeit medical products, and many other crimes. Organized crime and its profits threaten public safety, weaken institutions and erode the rule of law, human rights and democratic security. This is exacerbated by the advancement of technology and finance, including crypto assets. For this reason, we continuously adopt and adapt the standards to the evolving crime threats, from cybercrime or terrorism to environmental crimes. The Council of Europe's legally binding instruments are open to participation by like-minded states from all over the world. and help build a global legal space, and also address the fragmentation of international law where global standards do not exist. When international law and multilateral cooperation are under pressure, these standards are actual safeguards to protect democratic security. We invite the UN member states to consider acceding to the Council of Europe conventions that are most relevant to their particular needs. and to take part in the cooperation and in the communities that they enable. Thank you very much, Mr. President. And now let me turn to our pledge, if I may, on behalf of the Council of Europe. We'd like to pledge to strengthen our cooperation with UNODC in areas such as combating cybercrime, drug trafficking, environmental crimes, and corruption, and to advance our respective complementary standards to foster practical cooperation amongst all states. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to Ms. Ivonne Higuerro, Secretary General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora via video statement, please.

President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, It is an honor to address the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the government of the United Arab Emirates for hosting this important gathering and to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for bringing together the global criminal justice community around this timely theme. Protecting people, conserving the planet, and upholding the rule of law are deeply interconnected goals. In this era of unprecedented connectivity, goods, people, information, and finance move across borders at extraordinary speed. While this creates new opportunities for innovation, sustainable development, and international cooperation, These same conditions are exploited by criminal networks whose activities undermine governance, security, economic stability, and conservation outcomes. Wildlife crime is no exception. What was once viewed primarily as a conservation issue is now widely recognized as a serious form of transnational organized crime. threatening biodiversity, human rights, security, and sustainable development. Over the past decade, the international community has made significant progress in strengthening responses to wildlife crime. Yet, it remains an evolving threat that requires our sustained attention and continued investment. For more than 50 years, CITES has provided the global framework for ensuring that international wildlife trade is legal, sustainable, and traceable. Through the CITES Strategic Vision 2030 and collective efforts of our 185 parties, CITES demonstrates how international cooperation can support conservation, sustainable development, and the rule of law. But international agreements are only as effective as their implementation. As wildlife traffickers exploit corruption and adapt their strategies to online platforms, the CITES community is using enhanced reporting and analysis of legal and illegal wildlife trade data, joint action, and forensic technologies to help authorities detect suspicious trade patterns, target criminal networks, strengthen compliance, and support more effective enforcement. Since 2010, the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime, or I-CWCC, has brought together the CITES Secretariat, Interpol, UNODC, the World Bank Group, and the World Customs Organization to work with and support 130 CITES Parties through training, operational support, global enforcement operations, and tools for evidence-based interventions. In 2025 alone, ICWC implemented 82 regional and global activities, empowering over 2,600 participants across the criminal justice chain. This has contributed to more than 4,700 wildlife crime seizures and the identification of over 1,200 suspects. Ladies and gentlemen, addressing wildlife crime is essential to tackling the triple planetary crisis. And without sustained commitment, hard-won progress can swiftly be reversed. Our achievements thus far provide a strong foundation, and we must now build on this momentum. Let us intensify our efforts to strengthen the rule of law, advance the Sustainable Development Goals, and conserve biodiversity in alignment with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, so that people and wild species everywhere survive and thrive together for generations to come. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Ms. Ali Kihara Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation, and sexual abuse of children, via video statement.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues and young people. Thank you very much for this opportunity to address you. Today, we are considering the future of crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law. But whose future are we considering? Much of that future will be experienced by children, young people and generations yet to come. The decisions we make will shape the criminal and justice systems, societies, institutions, and digital environments in which they will live. Their voices and perspectives should therefore be part of how we imagine and build that future. Such meaningful participation is also reflected in the draft Abu Dhabi Declaration's commitment to empower children and youth through education, well-being, and youth-led initiatives. This is an important part of building resilience, preventing harm and strengthening culture of lawfulness. I have highlighted in my latest vision report that addressing challenges requires evidence-based responses that take account of emerging risks and lived experiences, including those of children and young people. This is particularly important that in digital environments, where technology can facilitate new and evolving forms of sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children. Some people and groups have specific vulnerabilities and protection needs. This includes children, and therefore, protection, crimes, justice, accountability, and reparation need to have a child-centered, trauma-preventive, and gender-sensitive approach. Moreover, children are not a homogeneous group. Some children face greater or different risks, and some may experience these harms differently. Our approach needs to encompass a whole cycle of protection. preventing and identifying risks, protecting children when harm occurs, ensuring access to justice and accountability, and providing appropriate remedies and support. This requires inclusive planning and coordination. Within countries, this means bringing together not only law enforcement and justice institutions, but also child protection, education, health and care services. Effective protection also depends on how effectively we can bring adults, families, communities, businesses, and technology companies together. Then there are necessary cooperation across borders, especially to tackle global, transnational, new and emerging threats to people's lives and well-being. In this regard, I welcome the draft Abu Dhabi Declaration's commitment to prevent and combat online sexual abuse and exploitation of children through stronger criminal justice responses, support for victims, effective public-private cooperation, enhanced information sharing, and international cooperation. This Congress is bringing different actors together across borders. I hope that discussions here can contribute to stronger cooperation across sectors and borders and to strengthening access to justice and accountability, as well as protection of children and other vulnerable populations. Justice must be sensitive to children's rights and needs. Children should have safe and accessible ways to report harm and receive appropriate protection and support throughout justice processes without being further harmed or re-victimized. And accountability does not end with prosecution. My predecessor's 2023 report on reparation and access to justice emphasized the importance of meaningful remedies for children affected by sale and sexual exploitation. Effective justice should therefore also enable access to appropriate, child-centered and age-appropriate reparation, recovery and support, which is another key theme of the Abu Dhabi Declaration. I look forward to the fruitful discussion at this Congress and, importantly, to their outcomes. In particular, I hope to see discussions on how to translate the law, rules and standards we have already into effective practice, so that international commitments are reflected in the everyday realities of children and young people. The future belongs to those who will live it. Let us ensure that children and young people are not simply protected in the future, but are heard, included and empowered to help shape it. Thank you very much.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Ms. Najla Nassif Palma, Assistant Secretary General, United Nations Victims' Rights Advocate. Please, you have the floor.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to address the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. At the heart of this Congress is a commitment to accelerate crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law to protect people and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. And victims' rights are at the center of this commitment. As the United Nations Victims' Rights Advocate, my mandate is to ensure that victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations personnel have a voice, assistance, and justice. I have met with victims in countries such as Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, South Sudan, Liberia, and many of them said that despite the harm they suffered, they felt invisible in the justice process. Once, a victim said something I will never forget: "I don't know what justice is, but I know what injustice feels like." When victims are heard, supported, and able to access justice, accountability is strengthened, Trust in the rule of law grows, and the cycle of harm is less likely to continue. These principles are not new. More than four decades ago, the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power affirmed that victims are entitled to access justice, assistance, and redress. Today, the challenge is not to redefine those principles, but to make them a reality for every victim. Too many continue to face barriers in assessing justice. They may lack information about their rights, fear a stigma of reprisals and fear of reprisals and retaliation, struggle to obtain legal assistance, or encounter systems that are very difficult to navigate. geographically inaccessible, or financially out of reach. For many, the path to justice remains long, complex, and uncertain. To turn these principles into reality, we need people-focused, inclusive, and responsible justice systems that recognize victims as right holders and prioritize their needs, safety, and dignity. This victim-centered approach must guide our response to all forms of crime and abuse of power. The same principles apply in the digital age, because digital violence is not virtual, it's real. And the rights of victims to protection, information, confidentiality, Participation and redress must be upheld wherever harms occurs, including in digital environments. Our systems, policies and practices must evolve accordingly. Advancing victims' rights is not the responsibility of any single institution. It's a shared responsibility. Governments, justice institutions, international organizations, civil society, and local communities all have a role to play. By working together across national, regional, and international levels, we can translate commitments into a meaningful change in the lives of victims. As we gather here in Abu Dhabi, let us strengthen those partnerships and ensure that victims are not left behind in our efforts to advance crime prevention, criminal justice, and the rule of law. Let us continue to place victims at the center of our work. And all together, let's put victims' rights first. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Mr. Phisetsa Ardean, Executive Director of the Thailand Institute of Justice. Please, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, the Thailand Institute of Justice, or the TIJ, would like to express our sincere appreciation to the government of the United Arab Emirates and the Secretariat for their efforts in making this United Nations Crime Congress possible at a time of great flux and complex global challenges. As a member of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Networks, TIJ acts as a system enabler. We bridge international standards with local practices. At the core of our mandate, we support Thailand and fellow member states to translate global commitments into justice outcomes that people can actually experience and trust. In line with the theme of this Congress, of protecting people, the planet, in the digital world, THA embraces people-centered, a whole-of-government approach to justice. The discussions at this Congress point to several pathways for advancing that approach, such as building justice systems that are inclusive and people-centered, improving how data is collected and analyzed, and capitalizing on the opportunities of the digital age. Please allow me to highlight three areas in which TIJA is contributing to this shared objective. First, the design and delivery of justice services must be backed by evidence. In Thailand, THJ has been working with behavioural economists to improve how we collect data, including by conducting a justice needs survey. The evidence base that reflects the journey of the people who navigate the justice system is crucial for us to use and identify the existing gaps and make the services more accessible, responsive and people-centred. Second, international standards will be meaningless unless they are imbibed in practice. Take, for example, the Bangkok Rules. The THA has been supporting the establishment of the Bangkok Rules Accelerator, within the UNODC's global program. Its platform offers deeper UNODC and PNI collaboration to close gaps in the treatment of women offenders worldwide. THA's role in this is to connect the standards that have already set the directions with the implementation that brings about meaningful change. Third, Data must empower institutions in addressing modern challenges, especially so in the digital age. Better data and better analysis can help justice institutions understand emerging crime, identify risk earlier, and design more effective responses. THA has collaborated with UNODC in organizing the Congress Workshop 3 on strengthening data collection and analysis. We see our work as part of Thailand's broader reform journey, particularly as a country advances toward global standards, including the OECD accession process. This process offers an important opportunity to strengthen evidence-based policy, people-centered public services, and public trust. objective already tied to the rule of law and to the commitments of this Congress and the Abu Dhabi Declaration. Distinguished delegates, people-centered justice is not separate agenda from effective crime prevention, criminal justice, or the rule of law. It is what makes these work. When institutions understand people's need, respond fairly, and deliver accessible services, they are better placed to prevent harm, protect rights, and earn public trust. This is the commitment at the heart of THA's work to support the government of Thailand and all member states in advancing the rule of law and building justice systems centered on people, and to continue working with UNODC and other fellow PNIs to share knowledge, strengthen capacity, and turn international commitments into practical results on the ground. We truly believe that justice is everyone's matter, and our mission is to help make justice not just a principle that we uphold, but a service that everyone can trust. Thank you very much.

Thank you. And now I have a pleasure to give the floor to Ms. Janne Begel, Director General of International Development Law Organization. Please, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Colleagues, It is a pleasure to join you today on behalf of the International Development Law Organization, the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law to advance peace and sustainable development. I thank the Government of the United Arab Emirates for the warm welcome and congratulate Executive Director Droma and UNODC for the impressive organization. IDLO values its partnership with UNODC and looks forward to strengthening it as we implement the commitments made here. Like many of you, I traveled to Abu Dhabi directly from the UN General Assembly High-Level Week in New York. A common theme in the interventions of world leaders was the need to protect the rules-based international order in the face of multiple global challenges. And this is true not only globally, but nationally and locally. So this Congress is very timely with its objective to galvanize collective action to accelerate progress on crime prevention, criminal justice, and the rule of law. The criminal justice landscape is increasingly complex and transnational, and justice systems need to evolve to respond to new and emerging threats. IDLO works across the entire criminal justice chain in diverse legal systems. We help partners design practical, tailored solutions that prevent crime and address its underlying drivers. Drawing on this experience, allow me to share three ways in which we can accelerate progress. First, we must put people at the center of justice systems. When justice is slow, costly, or out of reach, grievances accumulate, disputes escalate, and public trust declines, creating a fertile environment for violent extremism and criminal networks. People-centered solutions such as legal aid, mobile courts, community mediation, and alternatives to detention can play a critical role. Particular attention must be paid to the needs of women, young people, and those in vulnerable situations. And in this regard, IDLO welcomes the Generation Justice Initiative. We are seeing concrete progress. In the Sahel, stronger coordination across the criminal justice chain has reduced pretrial detention from as long as 16 years to under one year for most detainees. In Central America, the juvenile justice system is moving from a punitive approach to a preventive one with the best interests of the child at its center. And in East Africa, in communities under intense climate pressure, elders and courts working side by side are resolving disputes over land and water before they escalate into violence. And the returns are often greatest where the justice gap is widest. In one partner country, sustained support for survivor-centered justice has helped raise conviction rates for violence against women from 20% in 2018 to 70% in 2024. Second, we must scale up legal cooperation to keep pace with transnational crime. Organized criminal networks increasingly exploit borders and institutional vulnerabilities to traffic people and illicit goods, move criminal proceeds, and evade accountability. They represent a critical threat to security and stability at global, regional, and national levels. We need stronger legal frameworks, independent justice institutions, and effective cooperation across borders. In the Horn of Africa, closer integration between the Financial Reporting Centre, investigators, and prosecutors has led to convictions for terrorist financing and the return of illicit funds to the economy. And third, we must make justice systems ready for the digital revolution. Technology brings major opportunities, but criminals have embraced it faster than public institutions. IMF research shows that cyber-enabled fraud has nearly tripled, and artificial intelligence is making attacks faster and cheaper. In some developing economies, scam losses now equal more than 3% of GDP. Justice systems need the law, the skills, and the tools to respond. IDELO works with partners to implement digital solutions and support justice institutions to adopt new technologies, including AI, in ways that make them more effective, accessible, and accountable. United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, now with 93 signatories, is an important step. We look forward to its ratification and stand ready to work with UNODC and all our partners to support implementation. Mr. President, the Abu Dhabi Declaration provides a strong framework for our collective response to these challenges. We particularly welcome its recognition that sustainable development and the rule of law are mutually reinforcing. As Secretary-General reminded the General Assembly last week, the power of the law must prevail over the law of power, and effective multilateralism requires the pursuit of justice in all its dimensions. And trust in justice is built not only in conference halls, but in families, communities, courtrooms, and informal and customary mechanisms in every part of the world. Five years from now, at the next Congress, I hope that we can say that we have used our time well, that fewer people waited in detention without trial, that fewer victims were left without a remedy, that technology is being used for the benefit of all. Safer communities, effective institutions, and just futures do not happen by chance. They are powered by the rule of law. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Mr. Mutas Ali Hassad, Ambassador Coordinator, Secretary to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, allow me to thank the people and government of the United Arab Emirates for their hospitality and for the excellent arrangements made for this Congress. I would also like to warmly congratulate Under-Secretary-General Ms. Monica Juma on her appointment as Executive Director of UNODC. Likewise, appreciation is due to Ms. for her service. This 15th Congress meets at a moment when the tools of criminality evolve faster than the instrument of response and justice. An encompassing approach is thus required. However crucial law enforcement, punishment, reaction, and national effort may be, they cannot succeed alone. They must be joined by prevention education and digital literacy, by addressing root causes, notably unemployment, poverty, inequality and exclusion, by victim support, rehabilitation and reintegration by international cooperation, information sharing and capacity building. In this connection, we welcome the adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration as a valuable contribution to this effort. Building on the Kyoto Declaration, it takes account of the gaps identified in its implementation and of the new and evolving forms of crime that have emerged since. We look forward to its effective implementation as a five-year framework for our collective efforts. The adoption of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in 2024 is another historic milestone, the first comprehensive global instrument of its kind. The Convention's entry into force is essential. Its promise will remain unfulfilled without the day-to-day work of joint capacity, information sharing, and the pooling of expertise. International agreements do not dismantle criminal networks. Practitioners do. Across Asia, transnational criminal networks continue to adapt and expand. UNODC, World Drug report notes rising seizures of synthetic drugs and shifting trafficking routes that no single state can address alone. The decline in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, while welcome in itself, carries the risk of pushing users towards more dangerous synthetic opioids. A newer phenomenon deserves undivided attention. UNODC and its partners report that criminal networks have trafficked victims from nearly 80 nationalities into scam centers across Asia, luring them with false job advertisements, confiscating their documents, and forcing them to commit fraud under conditions of abuse. These are, in the first sentence, victims of trafficking, and our legal frameworks must be equipped to make that distinction. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we meet in a more contested international environment than at any point in recent decades. The cooperation channels on which criminal justice depends are under strain, and trust is is in shorter supply. This is the context in which the founding logic of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, CICA, is worth recalling. CICA was established on the premise that security in Asia is indivisible, and the dialogue and confidence building offer a more durable path than confrontation. Consensus, voluntary implementation, and respect for sovereignty remains possible and effective among states of differing capacities and alignments. Under the new challenges and threats dimension of a rubric of its catalogue of confidence-building measures, CICA has developed concept papers and action plans on information and communications technologies and combating illicit drugs. Building on a 2015 MOU with UNODC covering drug trafficking, organized crime, and human trafficking. Most significantly, with the assistance of the UN Office of Counterterrorism, UNOCT, a plan of action on the implementation of the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Strategy was adopted at the level of heads of state and government. at the level at SICA's sixth summit in 2022. Moreover, partnership is now approaching formalization as a MOU between SICA and UNOCT nears its final stage of agreement. The choice before this Congress is not between cooperation and isolation. It's between cooperation and irrelevance. Criminal networks do not respect institutional mandates and jurisdictional boundaries. They exploit every gap, every delay, every reluctance to share information and to forge collaborations. The challenges before us transcend institutional boundaries, and so must our response. This Congress convenes here in Abu Dhabi as the General Assembly debates in New York and the international community takes stock of progress towards the 2030 agenda. close cooperation and the restoration of trust are indispensable for confronting the criminality that threatens our shared future. Crime prevention and the rule of law are not only outcomes of sustainable development, they are conditions for it. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I have a pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Sophana Lee, Undersecretary of the State of Cambodia. Please, sir, you have the floor.

His Excellency.

In Cambodia language.

Excellency, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished international guests. On behalf of the Ministry of Interior of Kingdom of Cambodia, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the UNODC and in particular to the United for hosting this Congress. This paramount Congress provide a vital platform for us to pursue our shared goal of preventing crimes, enhancing security and safety, and strengthen the rule of law. Critically, it served to disrupt criminal network, illicit financial flow, and the cross-border movements of persons that continue to spread regionally and globally. Addressing this issue is to collectively obligated, shared by all nations, whether direct affected or yet to be impacted. Cambodia is among the countries affected by these crimes particularly online scams which are orchestrated by direct by foreign leads to National criminal Network targeting victims across various Nations including Cambodian citizens Excellency ladies and gentlemen the rural governments of Cambodia has launched comprehensive operation to suppress all form of crimes, especially international crimes, cyber crimes, money launderings, actively notable result. In addition, Cambodia has established robust enforcement mechanism, most notably a national wide campaign to suppress and eradicate online scam. To support our law enforcement mechanism, Cambodia has promoted the law on combating online scam, followed by successive sub-decrees, directives, and regulations designed to ensure success and achieve highly effective results. These legal instruments reflect Cambodia's strong political will and angel response to prevent, suppress, and combat crimes. They empower law enforcement and judicial institution with precise legal tools to investigate, prosecute, and punish offender in according with the law. Furthermore, this week, Cambodia hosted an international conference focused on joint accents to disrupt online scam networks. Aiming to strengthen law enforcement and enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperations with partner country as well as with international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol, UNDC, and APG to combat crime, money laundering, and corruptions in timely and effective manner. Moreover, Cambodia is trafficking legislation to amend its criminal code and criminal procedure code to address protocol modern needs and keep pace with the advancements in artificial intelligence with digital technology aiming to dismantle the entire criminal ecology protect victim current public safety and uphold the principles of rule of law especially adhering to the principle of the rule of law I'm virtually reinforcing effective with law enforcement agency. Our criminal justice agencies must operate within a clear legal framework and uphold legality, accountability, fairness, due to process, and respect for the fundamental right. Public trust is also essential. Strong, professional, and accountable criminal justice institutions encourage citizens to report crimes, cooperate with authority, and contribute to safer community. Cambodia face challenges stemming from several objective factors as follow. The rapid advancements of technology and telecommunication continue to exploit by criminal syndicate. to execute diverse fraud scams currently illicit financial flow for fundamental infrastructure of this crime network have yet to entirely dissemble. This Congress focus on promoting and strengthen international cooperation to prevent crime, advance criminal justice, and protect people and the environment in order to achieve the substantial development goal. I firmly believe that criminal preventions and criminal justice will become significantly more effective if we transform our commitment into actions, our intelligence into operations, and our cooperation into concrete results for the ultimate benefit for development. Especially, I would like to declare my strong support on the Abu Dhabi Declaration. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I have a pleasure to give the floor to Her Excellency, Ms. Alena Kuchina, coordinator of activities to address transnational threats, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Thank you very much, distinguished Mr. President, and this is a great pleasure to see you presiding this meeting. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe being the largest regional security organization under the Chapter 8 of the UN Charter, considers prevention as the core element of all our efforts to address transnational threats, be it preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism and radicalization that leads to terrorism, all forms of illicit trafficking, be it trafficking in cultural property, drug trafficking, or trafficking in human beings, cybercrime, as well as transnational organized crime. In doing this, the OSCE leverages its value add of a comprehensive approach to security, embracing a political, military, economic, and environmental, and human dimensions. All our work to prevent and combat transnational threats is human rights centered and rule of law compliant. In view of the ever evolving nature of transnational threats, acknowledging the speed of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, the OIC relies on a whole of society approach as no actor can address these complex transnational threats alone, as no state can do it alone. The OIC leverages a strong network of field operations on the ground in the area of prevention in order to build trust and common understanding among criminal justice actors and local communities. Let me illustrate this through our approach to preventing and combating transnational organized crime. Being guided by the 2020 Tehran Ministerial Council Declaration, the OIC's approach focuses on three priorities. First, understanding organized crime. Second, addressing illicit financial flows. And third, disrupting recruitment into organized crime. Across all three areas, strengthening interagency, regional, and international cooperation is essential. First, we support states to better understand organized crime and its evolving forms. Effective responses require strong evidence and a clear understanding of the phenomenon. In this regard, the OECD has developed three groundbreaking research studies on the role of women in organized crime, the role of financial literacy in youth crime prevention, and the role of social media in youth recruitment into organized crime. These studies support policymakers to design, develop, and implement effective policies and initiatives grounded in evidence. Second, we assist states in tackling illicit financial flows and confiscated criminal assets, including virtual assets. We bring together criminal justice practitioners from across jurisdictions, private and financial sector, and civil society to foster trust, exchange of information, and cooperation. Third, we support States in preventing the recruitment of young people by organized crime groups. To address this challenge, we provide specialized capacity building to frontline practitioners, leveraging a whole-of-society approach. Mr. President, prevention is better than cure. Investing in prevention and tackling root causes not only delivers tangible security benefits for citizens, but is also more cost effective. Welcoming the adoption of the Abu Dhabi Declaration, the OIC remains committed to supporting participating states in developing and implementing effective crime prevention and criminal justice initiatives. I thank you.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency. Now I give the floor to Mr. Ugljesa Zvekic, Permanent Observer, European Public Law Organization. Please, you have the floor.

Chairperson, Madam Executive Director, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. European Public Law Organization, EPLO, is an intergovernmental organization with the permanent observer status at the UN General Assembly, and it has its permanent observer mission at the UN in Vienna since 2019, as well as a memorandum of understanding. We maintain the UN Crime Congress to be the main forum for an exchange of experience and view among past, present, and future issues among the member states, intergovernmental organizations, civil society and academic community. And we fully support the Abu Dhabi Declaration. EPL also retains the UN Crime Congress should outline few strategic issues for consideration of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Commission, as well as of the governing bodies of UNTOC and UNCAC. These are the three that we deem important. First, working with the development and application of the global anti-crime strategy based on UNTOC and UNCAC and the forthcoming Cybercrime Convention. As of today, their respective mechanisms of governance, review and future development are divorced from each other, and there is insufficient backing and working together among these important normative frameworks. Second, Effective practical implementation and input making change requires strong criminal justice institutions. The more independent and the high level of integrity these institutions are, the stronger they are and the people's trust in them is higher. Different ways of undermining independence and integrity of criminal justice are well noted, and there is a need for international effort and effective support for independence and integrity. Third, the role of criminal justice and crime prevention is not only about offenders, but more and more about justice for victims of crime. International efforts towards the victims of crime have evolved from the seventh UN Crime Congress in Milan and the UN Declaration on the Justice of Victims of Crime in 1985. through UNTO protocol on trafficking, UNCA asset recovery, and the provisions of the cybercrime on protection of children and compensation. These are all very important achievements. However, it is noted that these normative frameworks are fragmented, too narrow, and voluntaristic, and that the new modalities and forms of organized crime, corruption, and cybercrime will bring about victimization of the new categories in the larger scale. Therefore, we believe there is a need to consider exchange of views among the member states, intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and academic community on developing international premise for the justice of victims of crime. Thank you.

Thank you. Now I give the floor to Mr. Reinhard Uhrig, Director of Outreach and Administration, International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law. Please, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, it is a real privilege to address the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on behalf of the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law. We thank UNODC and, of course, the Government of the United Arab Emirates for convening us in Abu Dhabi at a time when crime, terrorism and technology are increasingly intertwined. Based in Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean, the IIJ is an intergovernmental organization that strengthens the capacities of lawmakers, police, prosecutors, judges, and other criminal justice actors to counter terrorism and related transnational criminal activities through practical, rule of law-based, and human rights-centered training. Our geographic focus is Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with growing engagement in Central Asia. Since 2014, our work has grown into a global community of more than 11,000 alumni from over 130 countries, supported through more than 280 courses and workshops. At the heart of this work is international judicial cooperation. Mutual legal assistance is indispensable when criminal networks, assets, communications and evidence crosses borders. Effective cooperation enables authorities to obtain evidence lawfully and rapidly, trace illicit financial flows, support prosecutions, and close the gaps that criminals exploit. This is particularly urgent in the digital age. Cybercrime and technology-enabled criminal networks increasingly generate evidence across multiple jurisdictions. The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law therefore works with central authorities and justice practitioners, often in cooperation with our United Nations partners, to improve operation coordination, build trusted professional networks, and equip practitioners with practical tools for securing and sharing evidence across borders. Our experience is clear. Strong legal frameworks must be matched by capable institutions, clear procedures, and practitioners who know how to cooperate effectively. The IIJ remains committed to continuing its partnership with the United Nations, with the Member States, and with international partners in our shared mission to make the world safer from drugs, from crime, from corruption, and of course, terrorism. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Now I give the floor to Mr. Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, via video message, please.

Excellencies, distinguished participants, as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism, in my report next month to the General Assembly, I address the recent designation of organized crime groups, including drug cartels and gangs, as terrorists by at least 10 states in the Americas. Criminal violence associated with drug trafficking and drug misuse are serious threats to the right to life, security of person, and health. States must take all feasible measures to address them. Regrettably, some American states have resorted to measures that themselves flagrantly violate fundamental human rights. In the year since September 2025, the United States has unlawfully killed at least 230 people in 69 military attacks on civilian vessels at sea, allegedly to prevent so-called narco-terrorism. These serial extrajudicial killings gravely violate the right to life and should be denounced by all states. The perpetrators must also be investigated and held accountable. The United States' abusive designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations was also a pretext to launch illegal aggression against Venezuela, further violating the right to life. The US has also threatened illegal force against other American states. The designations further enabled the arbitrary expulsion of hundreds of foreign nationals in violation of the prohibitions on refoulement, arbitrary detention, and forced disappearance and inhumane treatment. Other American countries have also listed criminal groups as terrorist. In Ecuador, an armed conflict has been declared against organized crime groups with shoot-to-kill powers, despite international humanitarian law not applying. Criminal justice protections have been weakened and emergency powers adopted without adequate safeguards. The conflation of organized crime and terrorism is not consistent with international standards defining terrorism and organized crime. Terrorism should properly be limited to political or ideological violence and exclude profit-motivated organized crime in accordance with the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and my own mandate's model definition on terrorism. Combating organized crime should focus on strengthening law enforcement and intelligence capacities and cooperation, not unlawful killings and abusive terrorist listings. Efforts must also address root causes, including by supporting development in vulnerable communities, pursuing effective domestic drug prevention, education, and public health initiatives, and preventing U.S. military-grade weapons from flooding the region, arming cartels, and destabilizing other states. Respect for human rights, accountability and the rule of law are the foundations of principled and effective action against organized crime and drug-related violence. Thank you.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Mr. Lucine Kahar, Counselor of Legal Affairs Department, League of Arab States. Please, you have the floor.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, the representatives of member states, intergovernmental, regional organizations, and civil society organizations. Excellencies, it is a pleasure and an honor to address you today on the occasion of the 15th United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Congress. as we gather on a common ground in international solidarity and collective action to address the most prominent security and legal challenges our societies and stability are faced with. I convey sincere thanks and appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for major efforts made in holding the successful Congress and the launching of constructive initiatives to advance a safer and more secure world through you. I equally express my thanks to all partners and supporters of regional and international coordination efforts in crime prevention and criminal justice and the rule of law, in particular, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Ladies and gentlemen, the League of Arab States is firm in its focus on harnessing efforts in the Arab region for crime prevention and criminal justice. Hence, we are developing a comprehensive and participatory model strategy to address transnational organized crime. In doing so, we draw on the Arab Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the 2023-2028 Regional Program for states signed between the League and the UNODC. We firmly believe in the relevance of adopting a comprehensive approach underpinned by international and regional relevant treaties, at the forefront of which the UNTOC. and the protocols thereto, in addition to relevant Arab and international resolutions. This participatory vision revolves around four main axes to counter crime: prevention and awareness raising, prosecution and law enforcement, victim protection and support, empowerment and institutional coordination. To conclude, allow me to announce that the League is joining the Pledge for Justice initiative.

With a view to advancing crime prevention and criminal justice, I pledge the League of Arab States to develop, finalize and operationalize a new strategy against transnational organized crime and modernize relevant regional conventions within the next 24 months. This comprehensive initiative aims to strengthen strategic coherence, update legal frameworks, enhance cross-border judicial cooperation, and build institutional capacity across Member States to effectively disrupt organized criminal groups, dismantle their illicit gains, protect victims, and address emerging threats. executed in close partnership with the UNODC, the Councils of the Arab Ministers of Justice and Interior, and Naif Arab University of Security. Their efforts will promote robust collaboration at national, regional, and international levels to safeguard security and justice across the region. Thank you very much. Shukran Jazilan.

Thank you. And now I give the floor to Mr. Jan Tennant, Chair, Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Please, you have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the host country, to the Secretariat and Member States for facilitating civil society participation in this 15th Congress and in the preparatory process. According to General Assembly resolution 46/152, the crime congresses, as a consultative body of the Programme on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, provide a forum for the exchange of views between States, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and individual experts representing various professions and disciplines. So, civil society is therefore a key constituency in the mandate, history and proceedings of the Congress. And this was demonstrated in the preparatory process this time round by the broad expert participation, both in person and online, in the regional preparatory meetings, where more NGOs than ever attended, and more NGOs than ever applied to attend this Congress itself. In person, only a small fraction of those working in the sector are able to physically come here. but the evidence that they bring and the perspectives they bring have been clear for all of us to see. And the evidence of the relevance of civil society is included in a compendium of inputs and recommendations produced by the Alliance of NGOs and the UNODC Civil Society Unit, and in a collection of video statements recently published on the websites of the Alliance of NGOs by experts who have been supporting and attending the Congress over the past decades. And what is clear from all of these inputs and all of the inputs that I've seen here this week is that civil society's role is central to the Congress because they work on the ground, whether it's in supporting equal access to justice, supporting legal aid and economic empowerment, victim protection and support, promoting leadership and participation of women in crime prevention and criminal justice efforts, in research, monitoring and analysis. and in upholding accountability and reducing negative impacts of violence. They promote action against all kinds of criminal activity, some of which are covered in the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted this week, including gender-based violence, crimes that affect the environment, cybercrime, scam centres, human trafficking, and exposing corruption and human rights abuses and discrimination in the justice system. What is also clear is that civil society takes many forms. NGOs, community groups, religious groups, youth organizations, journalists, academia, humanitarian organizations, all of whom are represented here this week. But more diversity and representation in forums like this is sorely needed. This is needed to support the whole spectrum of crime prevention and criminal justice efforts. and the implementation of the ambitions reflected in the Abu Dhabi declaration will only be possible with multi-stakeholder partnerships, as the declaration itself proclaims. So let us see those partnerships flourish in practice with grassroots voices taking center stage. So as the Congress moves forward, my message is support civil society, let it make meaningful contributions, and bring its insights back to the United Nations, including to the CCPCJ and future crime congresses. In times that are uncertain, with the rule of law and strong institutions under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever to keep communication and expertise flowing across sectors and across borders, which is exactly what the Congress was set up to do. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. And this was the last speaker of this afternoon session. But before concluding this meeting, I was informed that there was a request for a right of reply. I would now give the floor to the distinguished delegate of the United States. I would like to take this.

Opportunity to address three important topics raised yesterday and today. First, I want to be clear, the United States condemns criminal violence by any party, anywhere. including in the West Bank and Gaza. And we continue to engage partners about improving security. Second, on the topic of so-called unilateral coercive measures, economic sanctions can be a lawful, legitimate, important, appropriate, and effective tool for responding to malign activity and address serious threats to peace and security. The United States is not alone in that view or in that practice. U.S. sanctions target behaviors that threaten our national security, global stability, and undermine human dignity. U.S. sanctions are not punitive. They're a tool to change behavior. They can be, and regularly are, removed if the damaging behavior stops. U.S. sanctions programs are focused on constraining the ability of bad actors to take advantage of our financial system or threaten the United States, our allies and partners, or citizens. not on preventing bona fide humanitarian related trade assistance or activities. U.S. sanctions and the U.S. trade embargo are legal. All countries have the right to decide who they want to trade with. Finally, I needed to address the remarks made by the U.N. rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. President Trump has made it clear he will not tolerate any threat to the lives of American citizens and will take necessary actions to protect our country. Any opinion of U.S. military action in the Caribbean Sea and other U.S. actions against narco-terrorists, particularly by unelected bureaucrats acting as U.N. special rapporteurs, is beyond the scope of this forum. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Are there any other requests for the floor in exercise of a right of reply? I don't see any. Then, distinguished delegates, this concludes our meeting for today. We will resume the high-level segment tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. The first three speakers of my list of speakers tomorrow morning, as of now, are India, Sri Lanka, and Norway. So please take note, tomorrow meeting starts at 10:00 a.m. Thank you very much. The meeting is adjourned.