General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

14 December 1990

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                        A/RES/45/121
                                                        68th plenary meeting
                                                        14 December 1990
 
          Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of
                  Crime and the Treatment of Offenders
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Deeply concerned about the steady rise in crime in many parts of the
 world, particularly its dangerous new forms and transnational dimensions,
 
      Conscious of the negative effects of crime on the quest for sustained
 development, a secure environment and a better quality of life,
 
      Recognizing the importance to all countries of more effective crime
 prevention and criminal justice in furthering socio-economic development,
 political stability and a propitious climate for national growth and world
 peace,
 
      Recalling its resolution 40/32 of 29 November 1985, in which it approved
 the Milan Plan of Action as a useful and effective means of strengthening
 international co-operation in the field of crime prevention and criminal
 justice and invited Governments to be guided by it in the formulation of
 appropriate legislation and policy directives and to make continuous efforts
 to implement the principles contained in the Caracas Declaration and other
 relevant resolutions and recommendations, in accordance with the economic,
 social, cultural and political circumstances of each country,
 
      Recalling also its resolution 44/72 of 8 December 1989, in which it
 stressed the importance of the programme of work of the United Nations in
 crime prevention and criminal justice and the necessity of strengthening it in
 order to make it more responsive to the needs and expectations of Member
 States, whose stability and social peace, as well as law enforcement and
 judicial structures, might be undermined by the growing level and impact of
 criminality, and requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the level of
 human and financial resources of the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
 Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the
 Secretariat is sufficient for it to carry out its multiple tasks mandated by
 United Nations policy-making bodies, including the promotion of collaborative
 action by Governments on problems of mutual concern, evaluation research, the
 collection and dissemination of information, the preparation of reports and
 studies and technical co-operation activities, and to ensure that the
 specialized nature of the programme of work of the Branch is fully reflected
 in its management and staffing,
 
      Recalling further its resolution 42/59 of 30 November 1987, in which it
 invited the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control to accord priority to
 preparations for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime
 and the Treatment of Offenders and to ensure adequate follow-up to the review
 of the functioning and programme of work of the United Nations in the field of
 crime prevention and criminal justice undertaken by the Economic and Social
 Council and its resolution 43/99 of 8 December 1988, in which it stressed the
 necessity for Member States to continue to make concerted and systematic
 efforts to strengthen international co-operation in crime prevention and
 criminal justice,
 
      Emphasizing the responsibility assumed by the United Nations in crime
 prevention under General Assembly resolution 415 (V) of 1 December 1950, which
 was affirmed by the Economic and Social Council in its resolutions
 731 F (XXVIII) of 30 July 1959 and 830 D (XXXII) of 2 August 1961, and in the
 promotion and strengthening of international co-operation in this field in
 accordance with Assembly resolutions 3021 (XXVII) of 18 December 1972, 32/59
 and 32/60 of 8 December 1977, 35/171 of 15 December 1980, 36/21 of
 9 November 1981 and 40/32,
 
      Recalling Economic and Social Council resolutions 1986/10 and 1986/11 of
 21 May 1986, 1987/49 and 1987/53 of 28 May 1987, 1988/44 of 27 May 1988 and
 1989/68 and 1989/69 of 24 May 1989,
 
      Taking note, in particular, of Economic and Social Council resolution
 1990/27 of 24 May 1990, in which the Council invited the General Assembly, at
 its forty-fifth session, to take appropriate measures to ensure the timely
 implementation and proper follow-up of the recommendations of the Eighth
 Congress,
 
      Acknowledging that the United Nations congresses, as major
 intergovernmental forums, have influenced national policies and practices by
 facilitating the exchange of views and experiences, mobilizing public opinion
 and recommending policy options at the national, regional and international
 levels, thus making a significant contribution to progress and the promotion
 of international co-operation in this field,
 
      Mindful of the main objectives of the United Nations in the field of
 crime prevention and criminal justice, which include the promotion of a more
 effective administration of justice, the strengthening of international
 co-operation in the fight against international crime, the observance of human
 rights and the pursuance of the highest standards of fairness, efficiency,
 humanity and professional conduct,
 
      Reaffirming the validity of the guidelines for setting international
 standards in the field of human rights, contained in its resolution 41/120 of
 4 December 1986, and the need to give due consideration in this work to the
 established international legal framework,
 
      Emphasizing the importance of continuing to provide Governments with the
 maximum opportunity to submit written comments and to participate in the
 formulation of international instruments and model treaties,
 
      Bearing in mind the theme of the Eighth Congress, "International
 co-operation in crime prevention and criminal justice for the twenty-first
 century", and the importance of preserving peace, freedom and justice as
 essential conditions for development and international co-operation,
 
      Noting the fact that the Eighth Congress, in pursuance of that theme,
 paid particular attention to the question of crime prevention and criminal
 justice in the context of development and the realities and perspectives of
 international co-operation in this field; underlined the need for granting
 this question higher priority at the United Nations system level; recommended
 major instruments to facilitate inter-State co-operation against crime, giving
 particular attention to the linkage between illicit drug trafficking,
 organized crime and terrorist criminal activities, the efficiency and
 effectiveness of national systems of criminal justice, the computerization of
 criminal justice and the non-institutional treatment of offenders, domestic
 violence and the prevention of juvenile delinquency; and identified other
 priority areas for practical action, such as environmental protection, in
 accordance with the requests of the General Assembly,
 
      Noting also that the programme of work of the Crime Prevention and
 Criminal Justice Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian
 Affairs of the Secretariat has expanded in recent years,
 
      Aware that crime prevention and criminal justice must be considered not
 only in the context of public systems, social and cultural values and social
 evolution, but also in the context of consistent economic development, and
 alarmed by the growing threat of organized crime, whose destabilizing and
 corrupting influence on basic economic and political institutions poses a
 challenge that demands more effective international co-operation,
 
      Considering that the formulation and implementation of rules and
 guidelines in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice provide a
 basis for the introduction of improvements in criminal justice at the national
 and regional levels,
 
      Reaffirming its determination to improve regional and international
 co-operation to foster further progress in this area, including implementation
 of the recommendations of the Eighth Congress, according to an orderly
 timetable reflecting priorities, taking into account the results of the
 meeting of the intergovernmental working group and the ministerial meeting to
 be held in 1991,
 
      Having considered the report of the Eighth Congress, the report of the
 Secretary-General on the implementation of the resolutions and recommendations
 of the Seventh Congress and the report of the Secretary-General on the
 implementation of the conclusions of the Eighth Congress, submitted in
 pursuance of resolution 44/72,
 
      1.   Expresses its satisfaction with the successful results achieved by
 the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the
 Treatment of Offenders and the thorough preparations for the Congress,
 overseen by the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control as the preparatory
 body, which contributed to its productive outcome, and by the regional and
 interregional preparatory meetings convened in co-operation with the regional
 commissions, the United Nations institutes for the prevention of crime and the
 treatment of offenders and interested Governments;
 
      2.   Takes note of the report of the Eighth Congress, as well as the
 report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the recommendations
 of the Seventh Congress and his report on the conclusions of the Eighth
 Congress;
 
      3.   Welcomes the instruments and resolutions adopted by the Eighth
 Congress, and invites Governments to be guided by them in the formulation of
 appropriate legislation and policy directives and to make efforts to implement
 the principles contained in them and in the relevant instruments and
 resolutions approved by previous congresses and other relevant resolutions, in
 accordance with the economic, social, legal, cultural and political
 circumstances of each country;
 
      4.   Endorses the decision of the Eighth Congress that priority attention
 should be given to specific practical measures to combat international crime
 over the forthcoming five-year period, bearing in mind the criteria set out in
 the relevant regulations and rules governing programme planning;
 
      5.   Invites Member States to monitor systematically the steps being
 taken to ensure co-ordination of efforts in the planning and execution of
 effective and humane measures to reduce the social costs of crime and its
 negative effects on the development process, as well as to continue to explore
 new avenues for international co-operation in this field;
 
      6.   Invites the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control at its twelfth
 session to examine the implications of the resolutions and recommendations of
 the Eighth Congress for the programmes of the United Nations system and to
 make specific recommendations on the implementation of the resolutions and
 recommendations in its report to the Economic and Social Council at its first
 regular session of 1992, in accordance with the priorities to be set by the
 ministerial meeting to be held in 1991;
 
      7.   Requests the Economic and Social Council to examine, at its first
 regular session of 1992, the report of the Committee on Crime Prevention and
 Control referred to in paragraph 6 above, in order to provide, within the
 United Nations system, overall policy guidance in crime prevention and
 criminal justice, and to undertake periodically the review, monitoring and
 appraisal of the resolutions and recommendations of the Eighth Congress, and
 the priority accorded to them;
 
      8.   Emphasizes the urgent need to be responsive to the calls of the
 Eighth Congress for strengthening the operational aspects of the United
 Nations programme of work in crime prevention and criminal justice, with a
 view to assisting interested countries in developing self-reliant and adequate
 law enforcement and judicial structures;
 
      9.   Urges all entities of the United Nations system, including the
 regional commissions and the institutes for crime prevention and the treatment
 of offenders and the relevant non-governmental organizations having
 consultative status with the Economic and Social Council to become actively
 involved in the implementation of the resolutions and recommendations of the
 Eighth Congress;
 
      10.  Also urges the Department of Technical Co-operation for Development
 of the Secretariat, the United Nations Development Programme and other
 pertinent bodies to give full support to projects of technical assistance, in
 particular to developing countries, in the field of crime prevention and
 criminal justice and to encourage technical co-operation among developing
 countries;
 
      11.  Requests the Secretary-General to use his best endeavours to
 translate into action, as appropriate, the resolutions recommended by the
 Eighth Congress for adoption by the General Assembly and to provide adequate
 follow-up of the other resolutions unanimously adopted by the Congress, and to
 do so in accordance with the priorities indicated by the Congress;
 
      12.  Invites the Secretary-General to use his best endeavours to review
 the resources required to enable the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
 Branch of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs of the
 Secretariat to discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the mandates
 and tasks recommended by the Eighth Congress;
 
      13.  Requests the Secretary-General to consider including in the proposed
 programme budget for the biennium 1992-1993 programme and resources proposals
 to assist with the long-term solution of the problems posed by the
 implementation of existing mandates;
 
      14.  Also requests the Secretary-General to circulate the report of the
 Eighth Congress to Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental
 organizations in order to ensure that it is disseminated as widely as possible
 and to conduct appropriate public information activities in this field;
 
      15.  Further requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General
 Assembly, at its forty-sixth session, a report on the measures taken to
 implement the present resolution;
 
      16.  Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-sixth
 session the item entitled "Crime prevention and criminal justice".