26th Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Side-event on emerging transnational organized crime challenges and related law enforcement responses
Vienna International Centre, 23 May 2017
On 23 May 2017, the United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) will be co-hosting a side-event with the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) at the 26th Session of the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in Vienna.
The side-event titled “Emerging transnational organized crime challenges based on regional context and related law enforcement responses” is supported by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Thailand to the International Organizations in Vienna.
The event will discuss the evolving dynamics of transnational organized crime, the challenges deriving from the constant diversification of its business areas and its ability to adapt quickly to changing environments. These characteristics are generating new challenges that often outpace the law enforcement capacity to understand, prevent and counter organized crime.
Participants to the event will discuss such dynamics against the backdrop of evolving regional settings, such as contexts of recent regional integration and regions under stress due to internal or external factors. In particular, the panel discussion will outline the specific challenges arising from changes in regional contexts along with adapted law enforcement approaches to counter such challenges.
The event will represent an opportunity to discuss the key findings of the field research entitled “Countering emerging threats and challenges of transnational organized crime from Thailand’s perspective in the context of the ASEAN Community” which was carried out by UNICRI and the TIJ over the course of 2016, and that looks at Thailand’s experience with transnational organized crime in view of the ASEAN economic community integration.
The event is intended for crime prevention and criminal justice professionals and experts from government agencies, international and regional organizations, research institutes and diplomatic representatives.
Among the high level speakers: Prof. Kittipong Kittayarak, Executive Director of TIJ; Dr. Cindy J. Smith, Director of UNICRI; H.E Ambassador Maria Assunta Accili, Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations in Vienna; Ms. Santanee Ditsayabut, Chief of the Special Programme on Transnational Organized Crime of TIJ; Mr. Matti Joutsen, Director of the European Institute for Crime prevention and Control (HEUNI); Mr. Joachim Wenz, Police affairs officer and adviser on fight against crime at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE); Lieutenant Colonel Paolo De Maria, , Office for Planning and Coordination of Police Forces, Carabinieri Italian Ministry of Interior. The event will present a plurality of approaches through the experiences of the panellists, these will range from innovations and challenges in regional law enforcement, capacity building to combat cybercrimes in the context of organized crime and finally, the Italian experience in creating specialised units to counter emerging crimes will be discussed.
About the United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
UNICRI is a United Nations entity established in 1965 to support countries worldwide in preventing crime and facilitating criminal justice. As crime becomes increasingly internationalized, new forms of crime emerge, and organized crime spreads, national responses and international cooperation are required in the fields of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI supports governments and the international community at large in tackling criminal threats to social peace, development and political stability. Specifically, UNICRI is mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice.
About Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ)
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) is a public organization established by the Government of Thailand in 2011 with the aim to promote excellence in research and capacity building in criminal justice. The Institute’s primary objective is to drive the implementation of the United Nations standards and norms related to women and children in the criminal justice system. TIJ also gears its work towards cross-cutting issues on the UN agenda such as the rule of law, peace and security, and sustainable development, and engages in enhancing domestic justice systems and the rule-based community within the ASEAN region.
About the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
The Commission acts as the principal policymaking body of the United Nations in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. ECOSOC provided for the CCPCJ's mandates and priorities in resolution 1992/22, which include improving international action to combat national and transnational crime and the efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems. The CCPCJ also offers Member States a forum for exchanging expertise, experience and information in order to develop national and international strategies, and to identify priorities for combating crime. For further information please contact: Marina Mazzini Telephone: (+39) 011-6537141 Mobile: (+39) 347- 4809463 Email: mazzini@unicri.it
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