Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
6 June 2022
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my honor to welcome you all to this High-level debate of the General Assembly.
I would like to extend my appreciation to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime for their support in organizing this event, as well as commend their efforts in crime prevention and the strengthening of criminal justice systems.
Dear friends,
Today’s discussion on empowering youth in crime prevention and justice initiatives builds upon the 2021 Kyoto Declaration and the outcomes of the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
It asks the question: what can we do as an international community to empower youth in making our cities and communities safer?
As we endeavor to answer this question, we must first recognize uncomfortable facts and address these in our responses.
This includes the fact that young people are disproportionately viewed as the primary perpetrators of crime.
The fact that young people are also amongst the most vulnerable to victimization, particularly around gang-related crime, violent extremism, and sexual exploitation, all the while lacking sufficient coverage or protection.
And the fact that prison systems remain, by and large, overcrowded, under resourced, and, in many instances, unsafe.
Dear friends,
As I have emphasized throughout my presidency, by virtue of their age, energies and learning abilities, young people are key agents of change in effectively addressing many world challenges.
Their importance in crime prevention is no different, and they deserve a greater say and contribution in how this is undertaken.
Achieving this means ensuring safe and supportive environments for young people, so as to prevent their involvement in criminal activities. This includes initiatives such as skills development, school counselling, health treatment for substance abuse, and problem-oriented policing.
It means also addressing risk factors that lead young people to engage in violence and crime, including on the developing and human rights fronts.
It means involving young people in decision making at all levels as it pertains to crime prevention, justice, and the rule of law.
As President of the General Assembly, I have made empowering youth a keystone of my presidency, and I have engaged with young people at each and every opportunity, whether in the GA or on trips abroad.
In that vein, I am delighted to welcome a youth representative here with us today, to shed light on his experience as a young person working to instill crime prevention in his community.
As our youth representative will speak to shortly, empowering youth in crime prevention policies and programming is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart and effective thing to do. Prevention through education, rehabilitation, and reintegration has been proven to work.
Dear friends,
For all the efforts by United Nations and our governments, there remains a perception among young people that there are still not enough opportunities for their meaningful engagement in promoting the rule of law.
Let us help to change that.
Excellencies, I encourage you, as outlined in GA resolution 76/187, to adopt multi-sectoral crime prevention policies and programmes for youth.
Further, I encourage you to develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based crime prevention policies, national and local strategies, and action plans based on an understanding of the multiple factors that contribute to crime.
By empowering young people – by bringing them into the process and giving them ownership, as well as hearing their concerns and suggestions, we can strengthen the system and make our communities safer for everyone.
I wish you all the best in today’s debate.
