WFWP Japan's Participation in the 14th United Nations Conference on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto

Written by: Mion Tsuchiaka

WFWP International (WFWPI) participated in the 14th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Kyoto Congress) held at the Kyoto International Conference Hall from March 7 to 12, 2021.

The United Nations Conference on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (commonly known as Crime Congress) is the largest international conference in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and is held every five years under the secretariat of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The purpose of the conference is to promote international cooperation in various fields, to work together for a safer world through discussions on various issues in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, sharing knowledge and communication among judicial ministers and other experts in the field. This is the second congress to be held in Japan in 50 years, the first being the 4th congress held in Kyoto in 1970. The theme of this year’s Kyoto Congress was “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.”

This was the first large-scale international conference held in Japan since the spread of the COVID-19, and delegates from more than 150 countries participated online and in-person. On behalf of WFWPI, three members from WFWP Japan participated in-person, and one member from the UN office in WFWP Austria participated online.

The opening ceremony was held on March 7, and attended by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (virtually), who delivered a powerful message on crime prevention. During this time, the Kyoto Declaration was adopted, which includes the digitization of the criminal justice system and the use of community volunteers to prevent recidivism.

Mrs. Moriko Hori, President of WFWP Japan and WFWPI representative in congress, made a statement at the plenary session and the committee meeting upon the theme of “quality education and empowerment of women and youth,” which will lead to the prevention of crime and various youth problems and will also be an important factor in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WFWP has been conducting educational support activities in Thailand and Moldova, where the children are often involved in various crimes such as human trafficking, which is a serious issue. WFWP stated that education is the key to preventing such crimes. Mrs. Hori emphasized the importance of family education as well as promoting UNODC’s “Family First” policy.