A/CONF.187/5 cooperation projects. Every second year, beginning in combating crime. A growing co 2001, the unit will publish a global survey on terrorism. transnational organized crime Oncern in recent times is I. Crime prevention: a national and Notes global priority United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 1999(New York, Oxford University 38. The above overview of recent trends and concerns indicates the necessity of making the prevention of crime More information about the United Nations surveys can be a national and global priority. Regarding crime prevention found on the United Nations Crime and Justice Information as a priority, however, is a fairly recent development. Networkathttp://www.uncjin.orgunder"statistics"and While the United Nations has had a crime prevention Surveys of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice component for 50 years, it was only in 1992, when the first session of the commission on crime prevention and Graeme Newman, ed, Global Report on Crime and Justice Criminal Justice was held. that the issue was brought to the (New York, Oxford University Press, 1999), p.8. forefront of international policy development. The Kristina Kangaspunta et al., Profiles of criminal Justice momentum and commitment evidenced by nearly a Systems in Europe and North America, 1990-1998(Helsinki, Governments in the development of the draft United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized 5 On 1 July 1997, the territory of Hong Kong became the Hong Crime is an example of the priority given to preventing ong Special Administrative Region of Chin crime at the international level 6 See"Recorded crime drops", Crime and Justice International 39. Global initiatives require national counterparts and July-August 1999, pp. 9-10 strategies. National councils and agencies have been 7 United Nations International Drug Control Programme,World established in many countries for the sole purpose of Drug Report (New York, Oxford University Press, 1997),p coordinating crime prevention initiatives. Some have included specialized agencies designed to deal with new United Nations publication, Sales No. E98.IV2 and emerging problems involving crime such as Pino Arlacchi, Schiavi(Milan, Rizzoli, 1999), p. 83 transnational organized crime. Those agencies must I0 See"UK organised crime on the rise",BBC Online Network cooperate closely with countries that produce or trans-ship 6 September 1999 illicit goods See"Al Gore addresses cyberstalking", Global Crime Update (New York), No 31, 20 October 1999 V. Conclusions: future international The draft elements of responsible crime prevention first appeared as an annex to Economic and Social Council action resolution 1997/33 of 21 July 1997. They have since been 40. The Tenth Congress will be convened on the Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 September 1999, in response to Council resolution 1999/25 of 28 July 1999, entitled"Effective threshold of a new century and at the end of a decade crime prevention. The revised draft elements are annexed to marked by significant political change and technological the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on effective progress. It will present a unique opportunity to tap into crime prevention(A/CONF 187/7 the knowledge and experience of Governments 13 See Gallup International 50* Anniversary Survey non-governmental organizations and individual experts to www.gallup-international.com/surveyl.htm meet the challenge of crime. The Tenth Congress may serve as a springboard for norm-setting, more effective ternational cooperation, action-oriented studies, the analysis of strategies for fighting crime and technical assistance activities of various kinds. The globalization of most contemporary problems has made international cooperation a pressing priority, particularly with regard toA/CONF.187/5 11 1 United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 1999 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. v, 3, 11. 2 More information about the United Nations surveys can be found on the United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network at http://www.uncjin.org under “Statistics” and “Surveys of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems”. 3 Graeme Newman, ed., Global Report on Crime and Justice (New York, Oxford University Press, 1999), p. 8. 4 Kristina Kangaspunta et al., Profiles of Criminal Justice Systems in Europe and North America, 1990-1998 (Helsinki, HEUNI, 1999). 5 On 1 July 1997, the territory of Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. 6 See “Recorded crime drops”, Crime and Justice International, July-August 1999, pp. 9-10. 7 United Nations International Drug Control Programme, World Drug Report (New York, Oxford University Press, 1997), p. 19. 8 United Nations publication, Sales No. E.98.IV.2. 9 Pino Arlacchi, Schiavi (Milan, Rizzoli, 1999), p. 83. 10 See “UK organised crime on the rise”, BBC Online Network, 6 September 1999. 11 See “Al Gore addresses cyberstalking”, Global Crime Update (New York), No. 31, 20 October 1999. 12 The draft elements of responsible crime prevention first appeared as an annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1997/33 of 21 July 1997. They have since been developed further by an expert group meeting held in Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 September 1999, in response to Council resolution 1999/25 of 28 July 1999, entitled “Effective crime prevention”. The revised draft elements are annexed to the working paper prepared by the Secretariat on effective crime prevention (A/CONF.187/7). 13 See Gallup International 50th Anniversary Survey, www.gallup-international.com/survey1.htm cooperation projects. Every second year, beginning in 2001, the unit will publish a global survey on terrorism. IV. Crime prevention: a national and global priority 38. The above overview of recent trends and concerns indicates the necessity of making the prevention of crime a national and global priority. Regarding crime prevention as a priority, however, is a fairly recent development. While the United Nations has had a crime prevention component for 50 years, it was only in 1992, when the first session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was held, that the issue was brought to the forefront of international policy development. The momentum and commitment evidenced by nearly all Governments in the development of the draft United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is an example of the priority given to preventing crime at the international level. 39. Global initiatives require national counterparts and strategies. National councils and agencies have been established in many countries for the sole purpose of coordinating crime prevention initiatives. Some have included specialized agencies designed to deal with new and emerging problems involving crime such as transnational organized crime. Those agencies must cooperate closely with countries that produce or trans-ship illicit goods. V. Conclusions: future international action 40. The Tenth Congress will be convened on the threshold of a new century and at the end of a decade marked by significant political change and technological progress. It will present a unique opportunity to tap into the knowledge and experience of Governments, non-governmental organizations and individual experts to meet the challenge of crime. The Tenth Congress may serve as a springboard for norm-setting, more effective international cooperation, action-oriented studies, the analysis of strategies for fighting crime and technical assistance activities of various kinds. The globalization of most contemporary problems has made international cooperation a pressing priority, particularly with regard to combating crime. A growing concern in recent times is transnational organized crime. Notes