A/CONF. 187/5 8. In addition to the efforts cited above, the Centre for affiliated with the United Nations, recently published a International Crime Prevention and UNICRI have joined report containing profiles of countries in Europe and North forces to conduct the Global Studies on Transnational America. The report combines police figures with victim Organized Crime which involves the project"Assessing survey results, as well as other data sources such as those transnational organized crime groups: dangerousness and of the World Health Organization. What has become clear trends", and the project"World Organized Crime Report". is that police statistics often reflect trends apparent in the The Centre for International Crime Prevention is taking the victim survey results, such as increases and decreases in lead on the first project, aimed at developing a mechanism criminal activity to determine the social and economic harm generated by 11. To persons who make decisions on criminal justice organized criminal groups. The second project, conducted policy, there is a wealth of data and other information of illicit markets and the economic, social and political in criminality. Some of the major developments are factors behind them. In march 1999. the Centre fo highlighted below International Crime Prevention launched two other global initiatives, the Global Programme against Corruption and the Global Programme against Trafficking in Human A. Overall crime rates Beings. Each initiative has as its core component the collection and analysis of data and other information 12. Preliminary data from the Sixth Survey, coupled with 9. Most Governments maintain a mechanism to record data from the Fifth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends developments in criminal activity. However, as noted in and Criminal Justice Operations, covering the period 1990- the Global Report on Crime and Justice, "a countrys open 1994, reveal patterns in overall crime rates that are announcement in the international arena of the extent of its consistent with those reported in recent media coverage crime problem and its processing of offenders through the For example, the total number of crimes reported to the justice system is a major political event".The validity of police in the period 1990-1997 dropped or stayed data and the impression that it makes are often of great approximately the same in member States of the European mportance to Governments at the national and Union that submitted responses for both surveys(Denmark, international levels. National statistics on crime are, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Sweden(see table 1)). The therefore, often criticized for reflecting not trends in crime same was true for total recorded cases of a diverse group per se, but the activities of the agencies that record of crime types that included fraud, embezzlement statistics on crime. As a result, official statistics on crime burglary, automobile theft, assault, intentional homicide, tend to under-report true crime figures, leaving gaps, theft, robbery and rape. particularly with regard to types of crime that are not 13. In contrast. total recorded drug-related offences conventional. In response to these concerns, many criminologists and government agencies have conducted appear to have increased in the European Union. In countries in eastern Europe and member States of the self-report surveys and victimization surveys, claimingthat Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS)(Armenia these methods give a more accurate picture of criminal Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, activity. Such methods, however, can be reductive. Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania Household victimization surveys, for example, exclude Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine), total information on corporate, white-collar, administrative and recorded crime appears to have increased during the 1990 political crime That is consistent with many media reports on the subject 10. While the debate continues as to the merits of the (see table 2). In Asia and the Pacific(Fiji, Hong Kong, various methods, a consensus has emerged that conclusions India, Israel, Malaysia and Republic of Korea) there was on the state of crime should be based on a set of indicators an increase in total crimes recorded during the period that can supplement each other. For example, the European 1990-1997(see table 3). In all countries throughout the Institute for Crime Prevention and Control world, there appears to be an increase in total recorded time(see table 4)A/CONF.187/5 4 8. In addition to the efforts cited above, the Centre for International Crime Prevention and UNICRI have joined forces to conduct the Global Studies on Transnational Organized Crime which involves the project “Assessing transnational organized crime groups: dangerousness and trends”, and the project “World Organized Crime Report”. The Centre for International Crime Prevention is taking the lead on the first project, aimed at developing a mechanism to determine the social and economic harm generated by organized criminal groups. The second project, conducted by UNICRI, is aimed at providing a better understanding of illicit markets and the economic, social and political factors behind them. In March 1999, the Centre for International Crime Prevention launched two other global initiatives, the Global Programme against Corruption and the Global Programme against Trafficking in Human Beings. Each initiative has as its core component the collection and analysis of data and other information. 9. Most Governments maintain a mechanism to record developments in criminal activity. However, as noted in the Global Report on Crime and Justice, “a country’s open announcement in the international arena of the extent of its crime problem and its processing of offenders through the justice system is a major political event”.3 The validity of data and the impression that it makes are often of great importance to Governments at the national and international levels. National statistics on crime are, therefore, often criticized for reflecting not trends in crime per se, but the activities of the agencies that record statistics on crime. As a result, official statistics on crime tend to under-report true crime figures, leaving gaps, particularly with regard to types of crime that are not conventional. In response to these concerns, many criminologists and government agencies have conducted self-report surveys and victimization surveys, claiming that these methods give a more accurate picture of criminal activity. Such methods, however, can be reductive. Household victimization surveys, for example, exclude information on corporate, white-collar, administrative and political crime. 10. While the debate continues as to the merits of the various methods, a consensus has emerged that conclusions on the state of crime should be based on a set of indicators that can supplement each other. For example, the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control, affiliated with the United Nations, recently published a report containing profiles of countries in Europe and North America.4 The report combines police figures with victim survey results, as well as other data sources such as those of the World Health Organization. What has become clear is that police statistics often reflect trends apparent in the victim survey results, such as increases and decreases in criminal activity. 11. To persons who make decisions on criminal justice policy, there is a wealth of data and other information available on national and international trends and patterns in criminality. Some of the major developments are highlighted below. A. Overall crime rates 12. Preliminary data from the Sixth Survey, coupled with data from the Fifth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Criminal Justice Operations, covering the period 1990- 1994, reveal patterns in overall crime rates that are consistent with those reported in recent media coverage. For example, the total number of crimes reported to the police in the period 1990-1997 dropped or stayed approximately the same in member States of the European Union that submitted responses for both surveys (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Spain and Sweden (see table 1)). The same was true for total recorded cases of a diverse group of crime types that included fraud, embezzlement, burglary, automobile theft, assault, intentional homicide, theft, robbery and rape. 13. In contrast, total recorded drug-related offences appear to have increased in the European Union. In countries in eastern Europe and member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine), total recorded crime appears to have increased during the 1990s. That is consistent with many media reports on the subject (see table 2). In Asia and the Pacific (Fiji, Hong Kong,5 India, Israel, Malaysia and Republic of Korea) there was an increase in total crimes recorded during the period 1990-1997 (see table 3). In all countries throughout the world, there appears to be an increase in total recorded time (see table 4)