ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRI.CA
COMMISSION E~ONOMIQQE POUR L'AFRIQUE
NO 4788 9 MAY 1995
THB NINTH UNITED NATIONS CRIME CONGRESS CONCLUDBS SESSION IN CAIRO
Ninth United Nations Crime Congress concludes session; condemns terrorist crimes, ,cal l s for , firearms regulation, efforts to combat
transDation~l crime among problems addressed were organized :~' crime, terrorism, corruption, environmental crime, urban violence, technical needs of developing countries.
Resolutions urging states to take acti~n on a wide range of 'i s s ue s from the ' 'pr o l i f e r a t i on of firearms, to deliberate environmental damage, organized crime, corruption of pUblic officials, attacks on, minorities and acts of terrorism, were adopted , as the ninth united Nations Congress on the prevention of 'c r i me and the treatment of offenders concluded its lO-day session here.
Reflecting the stated concerns of many delegates over the threat to pUblic safety and national security posed by terrorist groups, the Congress unequivocally condemned both terrorist acts 'a nd organized crime, as well as the linkages, between the two. ,I t
took that action in adopting a resolution co-sponsored by Egypt and TUrkey which calls for steps to draft a code of conduct or other legal instrument,for combating organized transnational crime with due regard to its finks with terrorist acts, ', .. ,
Reserva:tions expressed by representatives of Syria, ,s ud'an , Lebanon, Iraq and Iran, who wanted the resolution to make a clear distinction between acts of self-defence or national liberation and terrorism, were not reflected in the measure, although they were noted in the final report of the Congress.
In separate action, the congress asked that the views of states be solicited on the possible elaboration of new international instruments -- such as a convention -- against organized transnational crime. Such a treaty might cover
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P.O.Box 3001 • Addis Ababa • Ethiopia
arrangements for international cooperation at the investigative, prosecutorial and jUdicial levels and for prevention and control of money laundering. It took that action by adopting a resolution originally introduced by Argentina.
In response to widespread concern at the role proliferatiun of firearms and at the role of transnational their trafficking urgent measures to regulate firearms in suppress their use in criminal activities.
of the gangs in order to A further concern for delegates was the need to promote the enaction of effective laws and procedures to deal with violence against women, including rape/·domestic ·violence arid such harmful practices as genital mutila~fon. A resolution on that issue was adopted, incorporating numerous recommendations for programmes and services to improve the handling of such cases in criminal justice systems around the world.
A resolution on "Children as victims and perpetrators of crime", also adopted, calls on states ,wh i ch have not already done so to adopt measures to prohibit child pornography and abuse and asks for steps to begin gathering governments' views on the possibility of elaboration an ' international convention on the illicit traffic in children. For child offenders, the Congress recommended that states explore ways of complying with the principle that deprivation of children's liberty should on~y be used as a last resort and for thes~ortestappropriate ·time period.
An unpcecedent.ed feature of '·the Congress was a two-part plenary debate 'on corruption of pubLf.c officials, introduced by five experts led by Italy's former "clean hands" magistrate, Antonio Di Pietro. The linkage between official corruption and the recent' 'gr owt h in organized transnational crime was a mounting concern for many governments, as expressed in-·,t he debate.
'Moreover, 's ome stated; :'the lack of pubLi c trust:· :in' government authorities at all levels gave rise to political desperation and could be used as an excuse ·for terrorist violenc~'. : .,',
Under the terms of a consolidated omnibus resolution adopted, the Congress asked states to facilitate transnational criminal investigations by extending legal assistance to one another through the provision .' o~ relevant ·records, evidence exchange, locating personsi .:serving subpoenas and carrying- out;" Inspecttons 'a nd
seizures~ - ,"I t also called for the drawing up-of laws requiring registration of unregistered ·i mpor t e d motor vehicles as a way of combating their illegal trafficking.
That same text asks states to consider enacting penal .provisions, establishing special investigative bodies or appointing a' special prosecutor to address criminal activities -resulting in
damage to the environment. On prevention of urban, juvenile and violent crimes, the text urges states to develop projects on juvenile delinquency, especially those which would deal with the problem of street children. In the area of international ,cooperation, it invites the Secretary-General to recommend, that peace-keeping operations include the reform of criminal justice ,s y s t e ms as a means of strengthening the rule of law.
In other action during the session, the Congress called for the preparation of model treaties and legislation to facilitate extradition and other international cooperation in the crime control field, further steps to implement the ,standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners and assistance to developing countries in becoming active members of the United Nations crime and justice information network as a means of enhancing the international exchange of relevant crime data.
At the close of meeting, the Congress thanked Egypt for hosting the event and welcomed its proposal to establish in Cairo a regional centre for training and research in cr~me preven~ionand ,criminal justice for the mediterranean states. It recommended that the commission on crime prevention and criml:nal, justice, which begins a two-week session in Vienna on 30 May, set up a working
",gr oup to study 'Egypt IS proposal.
The Congress -- The first .to be held on the African continent and the first in the Arab World -- began on 29 April and ended on 8 May.
It was attended by 1,732 participants from 138 countries, 15 intergovernmental 'a n d 48 non-governmental organizations, as well as 22 united Nations agencies and programmes. Among the 1,290 government representatives were 33 ministers of justice and six ministers of '~the interior, along with heads of police agencies, pUblic prosecutors, high-ranking jUdges and heads of prison systems.
The Secretary-General of the Congress was Giorgio Giacomelli, Director-General of the United Nations office at Vienna. Eduardo Vetere, Chief of the crime prevention and criminal justice branch, was the Executive secretary. The Congress elected Farouk Mahmoud sif EI-Nasr, Minister .of justice of Egypt, as its President.
The Chairmen of Committees I and II of the Congress were Luigi Augusto Lauriola (Italy) and Masaharu Hino (Japan), respectively.
The Congress also elected the following officers: Jose Atilio Alvarez (Argentina) as its rapporteur-general; Alexander M.
Ishchenko (Ukraine) as its first vice-president; and the following .24 states as vice-presidents: for the african states, Algeria,
"Came r o on , Guinea, South Africa, Swaziland, Tunisia and Uganda; for
the asian states: China, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal and the Republic of Korea: for the Eastern European states: Romania and the Russian Federation: for the Latin American and Caribbean states: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba and Venezuela; and from the Western European 'a nd other states: Australia, Austria, Canada, France and the united
states.
Regional preparatory meetings were held last year in Bangkok (for Asia and the Pacific), Kampala (for Africa), Vienna (for Europe and Narth America), San jose (for Latin America and the caribbean) and Amman (for Western Asia).
In a closing statement, the president of the Congress, Farouk Mahmoud Sif EI-Nasr, Minister of justice of Egypt, said the resolutions adopted at the Congress must be followed up so that the next Congre~s could reap its benefits. He thanked all delegates and Secretariat staff for making the event a success.
The Secretary-General of the Congress, Giorgio Giacomelli, said the issues highlighted by the Congress reflected the major concerns of the modern day: The expansion of organized transnational crime, the negative impact of economic and environmental and technological offences, the threat of violence -- including terrorist acts the lIheartbreak of juvenile delinquency" and the plight of crime victims. The Congress had provided yardsticks by which countries could assess their progress
and the direction of required reforms. .
Closing sta~:ements were also made on behalf of regional groups ,a nd individual countries: crispus Kiyonga, Minister of the interior of Uganda, spoke for the African states; Mohamed Said Awing (Malaysia) for the Asian Countries; Evgeny Abramov (Russian Federation) for the Eastern and Central European states; Enrique Castillo (Costa rica) for the Latin American and Caribbean sates;
.J oh n Valentin O'Donnell (Ireland) for the Western European and
other states; and Dahi Khalfan Tamin (United Arab Emirates) for the Arab states. Vusumzi Phillip pikoli (South Africa) thanked the international community for its support in the struggle against apartheid.
united Nation Crime Congress are held every five years. The ninth Congress thus continued an international effort that can be traced back to the first penal and penitentiary congress, held in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1946. The eight previous congresses took place at Geneva (1955 and 1975), London (1960), stockholm (1965), Kyoto (1970), Caracas (1980), Milan (1985) and Havana (1990).
Unlike pr~vious crime congresses, the ninth congress was less technical and more oriented to finding workable solutions to global crime problems. Much of the work was done in informal workshops
where national strategies to combat specific kinds of crime were discussed and recommendations made to improve the international response to them. Workshops were held on extradition;
computerization; the mass media and its role in crime prevention;
criminal law and environmental protection; urban policy for crime prevention; and the prevention of violence and violent criminality.
The two main committees of the Congress also took a practical approach in their discussions of specific topics such as reform and modernization of justice systems, prevention of urban and juvenile crime and issues relating to victims. A general discussion of national and Irrcernat.Lone I experiences in crime prevention and criminal justice was held in the plenary, which also discussed international cooperation and technical assistance for strengthening the rule of law as well as me~sures to tackle
transnationa~.organized and .t e r r or i s t crimes. .
TRANS_ATIOHAL ORGANIZED CRIME, TBRRORIST CRIME
The Congress unequivocally condemned organized crime and terrorist crimes and characterized them as crimes that may aim at the destruction of human rights, threaten the territorial integrity of. '., s~ates, undermine the ' stability of legally constitute<;i governments and harm economic and social development. By a resolution on the issue , t h e Congress called upon states to exchange technical information and share their experiences in compating the use of the proceeds of crime to·finance terrorism.
The Congress invited the Commission on crime prevention and criminal justice to establish an open-ended intergovernmental working group to draft a code of conduct for combating transnational or~anized crime, keeping in mind the danger of its link to terrorism.
By another reSOlution, the congress invited the crime commission to request the views of governments on the elaboration of international instruments, such as a convention, against organized transnational crime and on the issues and elements that it might cover. Those elements could include problems and dangers posed by organized crime, international cooperation at the investigative, prosecutorial and jUdicial level, prevention and control ·of money laundering.
In the discussion on action against national and transnational economic and organized crime and the role of criminal law in the protection of the environment, central issues were the expansion of
~rganizedcrime and the dangers posed by its .t r ans na t i ona l nature.
Many participants stressed the difficulties encountered by
developing countries and countries in transition to combat transnational criminality.
The increasing threat of terrorism was mentioned by several speakers. It was emphasized that terrorist groups were modifying their methods and were becoming on even greater threat to society, democracy and stability. On environmental protection, several countries considered as strictly as other, more traditional, forms
of 'c r i mi na l i t y . It was recognized that the concept of the role of
criminal law in protecting the environment needed furth~r
refinement.
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International cooperation, technical assistance on the sUb3ect of international cooperation and practical technical assistance for strengthening the rule of law, much of the Congress' discussion dealt with the challenge of growing criminality, both national and transnational. The link between crime and underdevelopment was also stressed, and the international community was urged to provide resources to enable developing countries to strengthen criminal justice systems and to provide the legal framework necessary for development.
It was noted that raC1sm was on the increase and had taken new forms, the most widespread of which was the hatred directed at migrant workers. Xenophobia, like other crimes, threatened democratic &tructures and fundamental values.
A special session on technical cooperation was also held.
During the discussion, several speakers stressed that technical assistance benefitted not only developing countries but also the international community at large, since it contributed to creating conditions' fovourable to peace and stability. However, to be effective, technical cooperation needed to be provided promptly in response to requests of member states. Several developing countries took the opportunity to request assistance for their poorly trained or ill-equipped law enforcement agencies, requesting specific programmes of technical assistance to suit their varied .ne e ds .
The resolutions of the Congress on international action ,i nc l ud e d a call for the convening of an expert group to develop 'model agreements on international cooperation as well as model 'l e g i s l a t i on on extradition and related forms of cooperation.
Regarding economic and organized crime, the Congress urged states to establish the broadest possible cooperation on extradition, and 't o emphasize mutual assistance in their practical arrangements to
control organized transnational crime.
It was recommended that member states>consider establishing specialized units to investigate economic 'a nd financial crime to
help identify major commercial networks influenced by transnational crime organizations.
In connection with international cooperation, the Con~res~
asked states to intensify cooperation in the field of crime prevention in order to establish integrated regional policies, programmes and mechanisms. states were invited to increase the use of bilateral or multilateral agreements and conduct more extensive research on transnational organized crime; terrorism; trafficking in drugs, arms and minors; money launder ing and other economic crimes. The Commission was invited to encourage the Secretary- General to recommend, upon request, .that United Nations peace- keeping operations include the reform of criminal justice systems as a means of strengthening the rule of law.
URBAN AND JUVENILE CRIME ,
In the discussion of urban and juvenile crime, the Congress discussed crime Frevention strategies, particularly for urban crime and juvenile and violent criminality, including the concerns of victims. In the g~~eral discussion, participants noted that rapid urbanization, paz-t.Lcu Laz-Ly in developing countries, was compounding crime problems in cities. The concentration of the disadvantaged in certain urban ar~~s, without adequate means of subsistence·or social support, was conducive to instability and'migrants were at risk of becoming both offenders and victims.
Concern was expressed over the large number of victims of crimes committed with firearms. Many felt it was important to regulate firearms which were most frequently used in crimes such as murder and robbery. Most participants noted that those crimes in which guns were used could be reduced by proper regulation of the possession and sale of firearms. International cooperation was seen as indispensable, especially in suppressing illicit trafficking in firearms, which frequently involved criminal organizations. It was recommended that the crime commission discuss problems concerning the regulation of firearms.
The potential of community-based projects for crime prevention was emphasized. "Neighbourhood watch groups", mediation boards and pubLi.c security committees were grass-roots organizations that
p~~yed an act,iye role in crime prevention. The community-based
apprp.~C?l1:.·..:~'as ;a l s o the guiding principle governing community policil)g..a~d problem-saving forms of law enforcement which brought the police and the public closer toget~er.
Special emphasis was given to the elimination of violence against women which was seen as occurring at all points of the
economic spectrum; regardless of age, culture or religion. l~ was seen as a reflection of women's structural and systematic inequality in society and as a means of maintaining that inequality.
By its resolution on children as victims and perpetrators of crime, the Congress urged states to adopt measures to prohibit child pornography and traditional practices prejudicial to children's health such as female genital mutilation. Views of
~tates on an international convention on the illicit traffic in children were also requested. The Congress also recommended that states ensure that the administration of justice allow child offenders to take responsibility for their actions. states were called on to explore measures to comply with the principle that the deprivation of children's liberty should andy be used as a last
resort. '.
By a strong resolution that enjoyed considerable support among participants, the Congress urged states to adopt laws against acts of violence that may victimize women and sanctions against rape, sexual abuse and all practices harmful to females, including genital mutilation. Legal measures prohibiting harassment,
intimidation or threats against women or their families and laws regulating the acquisition and storage of firearms in the home were also recommended by the same resolution of the Congress. States were urged to tdke special account of womenI s vulnerability to violence-- including murder, torture, systematic rape ,a nd sexual slavery in situations of armed conflict.
POLICE AND COURT REFORM
. Discussing the improvement of police and criminal justice systems, congress participants agreed that modern policing involved not only law enforcement and security issues but also a variety of approaches designed to solve social conflicts. Community policing was mentioned as a key strategy for achieving greater police accountability and increasing pUblic involvement. Technical cooperation in law enforcement was stressed as an important tool for increasing the effectiveness of the operation of law enforcement systems.
Participants also emphasized that procedures for transboundary investigations should be simplified and new methods of investigation used. Proper and timely prosecution of cases and respect for the principle that a case should be prosecuted only if sufficient evide~ce existed were also emphasized. Establishing an international association of prosecutors was also recommended. On the jUdiciary, problems of overloaded courts and delays in
prqceedings were 'c i t e d as impediments to effective criminal justice.' participants stressed the independence of the jUdiciary and that it should reflect the composition in the community in terms of gender, race and social class.
Poor prison conditions and the high costs of prisons and their administration were mentioned as concerns. The United Nations was asked for assistance in improving devastating prison conditions and it was pointed out that correctional services often had to be sacrificed when national budgets were being cut. National experiences with non-custodial sanctions and electronic surveillance of' convicts serving sentences at home were also discussed.
The need for updated information on the operational trends
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crime was stressed and it was suggested that a centralized databank be set up on criminal organizations and their illegal activities.
It was important that all aspects of the functioning of the criminal justice system be transparent in order to gain public trust. If societies did not feel that the governmental criminal justice apparatus supported and maintained pUblic order effectively, they were more likely to rely on extra-legal measures to safeguard their security.,
The Congress resolution on the treatment of prisoners invited states to enhance transparency in prison systems by providing ways to monitor them by independent bodies, such as jUdicial supervision or parliamentary control. states,s hou l d share information with the pUblic on practical conditions in penal institutions and exchange views among each other on improving prison conditions
In 't h e field of criminal justice, the Congress, by the terms
of its omnibus resolution, called on states to ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and the proper functioning of prosecutorial and legal service. Strengthening the autonomy of the office of the pUblic prosecutor was recommended.
MASS MEDIA AND CRIME PREVENTION
The workshop on the role of the mass media in crime prevention recommended that governments should recognize that access to information was a key factor in permitting the media to playa role in crime prevention and should ensure press freedom in national legislation. They should encourage the media to report on all types of crime and methods of crime prevention, while recognizing that emphasis on the reporting of violent crime might distort efforts of crime prevention and create unrealistic fears and anxieties about the risks of being victimized.
The mass media, in turn, should balance their r'eporcihg of crime and pay more 'attention to regional, cultural and other variables that affect attitudes to crime prevention and control.
Further, they should direct their research on the media's role in crime prevention to less developed nations and less sophisticated communication technologies.
The United Nations, the workshop recommended, should reassert the "enormous importance of a free press as part of the democratic process" and urge states to protect those who sought to advance that right in emerging democracies. It should also commit resources for countering the negative effects of the mass media on children; call upon governments to create an education campaign to ensure that crimes against the environment were recognized in the media as criminal and moral offencesj and encourage, through the media, the development of ways to eradicate violence against women, enhancing respect for their dignity and discouraging neqat.Lve stereotyping.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
On criminal justice and the protection of the environment, the Congress workshop discussed both the benefits and potential problems that might result from the use of criminal law to control crimes against the environment. Proposals ranged from elaborating a detailed list of environmenta~,crimes to including in domestic penal codes, a core group of such crimes. An international convention on the protection of the environment with provisions for criminal penalties was also suggested as was establishing a world environmental protection agency under the aegis of the United Nations.
Forms of ecological crimes mentioned included the illegal disposal and trafficking of hazardous wastes, smuggling or theft of cultural treasures, and newer forms such as genetically engineered organisms being implanted illicitly into the environment. The criminal liability of private and pUblic entities in the destruction of the environment was also discussed, with participants providing national experiences on the sUbject.
The workshop generated several innovative approaches to protect the environment: funds could be established to enforce environmental laws and to repair damage done by offenders through the use of the confiscated proceeds of environmental crimes and other contributions; pUblicity could be used as a means of pressure on corporate entities and a method of raising public awareness. At the enforcement level, special police and prosecution units should be established for dealing with such crime, and action taken under
pUblic health and safety legislation, it suggested.
Participants invited support from states in promoting awareness of 't he role of criminal justice in environmental protection -a nd - developing guidelines that could facilitate coap Li.ancez Research projects could be undertaken.on the various aspects of environmental protection and a review of existing legislation on protection of the environment carried out with the intention of creating an effective legal infrastructure for protection of the environment. The workshop also recommended that states provide technical assistance through advisory services and training courses for administrative agency and criminal justice personnel on the prevention of environmental crime.
By a-provision of an omnibus resolution, the Congress asked states to consider establishing special investigative bodies or a special prosecutor for environmental protection. It called on countries to cousLdar enacting penal provisions to protect the environment as well as endangered species and cultural property.
EXTRADITION
The workshop on extradition and international cooperation examined different approaches to establishing extradition relationships between states: executive decisions supported by domestic legislation; bilateral treaties; regional and multilateral agreements. National legislation based on reciprocity, coupled with the application of national norms and procedures seemed to permit the most flexible and effective response, with bilateral treaties also providing certainty to reciprocal arrangements.
Multilateral and regional treaties presented problems of a lack of specificity, differences in national legal systems and legal traditions, and the potential for higher numbers of reservations .t o the treaties.
The continued relevance of the exception of political offences to extradition was questioned, in the light of the trend in multilateral ins~ruments not to treat violent crimes as political offences for the purpose of extradition. The development of a humanitarian safeguard to protect the human rights of the fugitive was sufficient, it was suggested. In cases where the requesting state had the death penalty and the requested state did not, the problem could be solved by the requestor assuring that capital punishment would .not be applied if the extradition was granted.
The changing attitude towards facilitation of extradition in cases of financial crimes was also noted. Proposals should also be considered to control the proceeds of crime and counter unjust
enrichment by flight to another jurisdiction, participants said.
A number of causes for poss i.bl.e de.lays were also noted, including incomplete requests, too. many authorities involved in the procedures, lack of knowledge, inadequate resources, and expiry of national time-limits. Problems could also occur during transit.
Constant efforts would be needed to.balance the preservation of the rule of law and respect for human rights with the need for efficiency of the criminal justice system .
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ORBAN POLICY
The workshop on urban policy and crime prevention dealt with urban policies, coordination mechanisms, close-proximity services and innovative approaches. Participants outlined the urban policies pursued in their countries and the effectiveness of partnership-oriented policies. Despite some positive trends that had been noted, they cautioned against ignoring the growing feeling of urban insecurity which should be evaluated in greater depth.
The necessity for partnership-based and territorial approaches was stressed. That ~ethod had emerged primarily as a reponse to the inadequacies of traditional criminal justice.
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On non-traditional approaches, the Un! ted Kingdom provided the example of the involvement of the private sector in formulating preventive measures, as criminal acts harmed profits and the smooth functioning of operations. The role of voluntary police officers and city wardens was highlighted by speakers from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The Japanese Kobans system which made the police an integral part of the .community was effectively used after the recent earthquake in Kobe. In France, the "justice and law centres" were responsible for re-establ ishing and promoting access to legal redress and settling petty crime. The operations for the protection of minors and the "penal mediation" system were also analysed.
VIOLENCE PREVENTION
The workshop on the prevention of violent crime discussed the need to respond to terrorism and drew connections between violence and firearms control. The problem of violence as it related to the family, the school and sports events was also explored. Some technical cooperation projects were discussed.
Regarding violent crime and terrorism, the representative cf Egypt proposed establishing a database on existing terrorist groups and their funding sources. The Tunisian representative emphasiz~d
that terrorists should not be granted political asylum and that, internally, terl.'orist detainees should be isolat,~c;l , from other prisoners. An Israeli video illustrated that the control strategy in that country was based on the rapid deployment of strike forces, voluntary self-defence teams, enhanced security measures at strate'gic locations, and the cocrdf.nati lon of j~dicial.,an?-·,~police a~thorities. It was agreed that prevention of 't e r r or i s m depended on educating the people among whom terrorists sought refuge on human rights values.
A legislative plan to control firearms, prohibiting their use, possession and import was presented by the representative of Japan.
The Russian Federation was also strengthening its laws on firearms;
that country's representative'~~id, and authorities'were making an inventory of military equipment. In Canada, riew legislatiye provisions had resulted in the computerized registration of firearms, in the denial of firearm permits to those who had been previously convicted of violent crime and in a preliminary weapons~
handling course.
Regarding violence and the family, the Israeli government had carried out many initiatives including special telephone lines for ill-treated women, educational information in schools and the army, and residences and legal assistance for single-parent'f ami l i e s . In the United states, the pub l i.c prosecutor's office~:ha'd"" ;spia8ialized
units to deal with domestic violence, which was considered a serious crime. There was a partiCUlar need to deyelop training programmes on domestic violence for the jUdicial branch, the representative of Canada said.
Violence at sports stadiums expressed pent-up emotions, the representative of spain said, and was related "to the routine lifestyles in our societies". Regarding prevention initiatives, a French Video designed for students stressed values such as respect for others and cohesiveness. A 1994 chilean · 1~\!I.··~·1mJ?os ed new
security measures in sports areas restricting the sale of alcoholic beverages and making the possession of firearms an offence. The representative of Italy said his government had set up an observatory to study violence at sporting events.
By a resolution on firearms regUlation for increasing public safety, the Congress asked states to take effective action against trafficking in firearms, through mutual cooperation, the exc.haqge of information and the coordination of law enforcement·'act'ivitit:~s.
It requested the crime commission to consider urgerirri\eas~res to regulate firearms, such as the prevention of transnational illicit trafficking in those weapons. It called upon states to promote the
adequate regulation of firearms to protect pUblic health and safety and reduce violent criminality.
COMPUTERIZATION OF JUSTICB SYSTEMS
The workshop on international cooperation and assistance in the management of the criminal justice system reviewed progress in the use of national and international crime and criminal justice information and on the introduction of information technology in the administration of criminal justice.
Rapid demographic, economic and political change in society had led to changes in the level and structure of cri~e. New forms of crime were emerging and both crime and offenders were taking on 'a n international dimension. The rapid 'c ha ng e s in technology provided new opportunities for responding to those changes, but it 'a l s o raised concerns of privacy and security. There was concern that without proper monitoring and guidelines and without clear law and policy, the new technology might strengthen the degree of control in society and could erode fundamental rights.
A clear need was recognized for a coherent information policy that could guide the work of policy makers and criminal justice administrators. In the international context, coordination and harmonization and the strengthening of multilateral and bilateral technical aid was emphasized.
The potential of the United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network was demonstrated at the workshop. Through internet, the nE':.twork links up a growing number of governmental agencies, academic institutions and individual practitioners with elements of the United Nations programme and with one another.
Plans for expanding the scope and global coverage of the network were outlined. The resource scarcity faced by the United Nations Technical Assistance Programme was stressed and the growing role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in crime prevention and 'criminal justice was welcomed as a positive element.
By a Congress resolution, member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations were urged to become active m~mbers
of the United Nations Crime and Justice Information Network by mobilizing expertise and resources. The congress urged states to contribute to the development of the network -- "one of the more dynamic and efficient ways to promote the exchange of criminal
justice information".
CORRUPTION
~ During the Special Plenary Session on Official Corruption, a panel of five leaders in the field of criminal justice addressed the congress on that issue: Antonio Di Pietro, former prosecutor , in Milan, Italy; Nelson Azevedo Jobim, Minister of Justice of Brazil; Senator Romul Petru Vonica, Chairman of the Anti-corruption commission of the Romanian Senate; Shinichi Tsuchiya, Director of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation and former prosecutor in Japan; and M. Cherif ~assiouni, President of the International Association of Penal Law.
In the gene~al discussion on the topic, it was suggested that independent bodies, such as Ombudsman, be established to monitor the activities of governmental agencies. Those monitoring bodies should have the resources and autonomy ;t ha t would allow them to be free from interference. In order to co~bat corruption effectively, international cooperation was essential. The manual on practical measures against corruption and that draft code of conduct prepared by the united Nations was commended as capable of forming the basis for further work.
PARTICIPANTS
The following states were represented at the Congress:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, BUlgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's RepUblic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Holy See, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan and Jordan.
Also, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic RepUblic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, RepUblic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe~ Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovak RepUblic, Slovenia, south Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav RepUblic of Macedonia,
Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, united Republic of Tanzania, united states, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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