Statement by Ms. Yoriko Suzuki, Minister, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, on Item 109: Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and Item 110: International Drug Control, at the Third Committee of the Seventy-Third Session of the United Nations General Assembly
2018/10/4
(As delivered)
Mr. Chair,
The rule of law, good governance and a culture of lawfulness are essential elements of a prosperous human society. My delegation welcomes that the United Nations and ECOSOC subsidiary bodies have been acting as active fora to discuss crime prevention and the improvement of the criminal justice system.
In this connection, Japan will also proudly host the fourteenth UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto in 2020. The Crime Congress is the largest and most prominent UN meeting in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, taking place every five years. Multiple layers of experts and policy makers are brought together to discuss policies and practices.
Keeping pace with the ongoing discussion here in New York, this Crime Congress will discuss the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals from the perspective of the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice, which will be highly relevant to our commitment towards the 2030 agenda, particularly to the implementation of Goal 16.
Substantive discussions will soon begin in the regional groups’ preparatory meetings in early 2019. I should like to call on your active involvement in the process in order to have greater synergy and cohesion between the Crime Congress and other fora of related UN bodies.
Mr. Chair,
Illegal drugs are becoming more diverse, illicit drug trafficking is expanding globally, and the profits from these illegal ventures are used as resources for organized crime. To combat these issues, drug control policies of each member state must be implemented in a coordinated manner. In this regard, Japan supports the joint commitment adopted at the UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem in April 2016. My government also supports the principal role of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) as the policymaking body with prime responsibility for drug control issues. As a member of the CND, Japan continues to contribute to international drug control by utilizing its knowledge and experience.
It is also important for international communities to tackle emerging cybercrime issues in a coordinated manner. The Government of Japan has been engaging in capacity-building programs in the East Asian region and continues to support such programs.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and other open-ended intergovernmental expert groups have been openly discussing approaches to cybercrime problems with member states. Japan expects active discussions on cybercrime to continue at the CCPCJ base in Vienna.
Mr. Chair,
Corruption poses serious threats to economic growth and sustainable development. We should continue our collective efforts to combat corruption through existing international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In 2019, Japan will co-chair the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, and we are resolved to make further contributions to the international fight against corruption.
I would like to reiterate Japan’s commitment to continue its efforts to confront crime and to take an active role in international cooperation in this field.
Lastly, the Permanent Mission of Japan, together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will hold a briefing to provide an update on the preparations for the Congress at Conference Room 12 today at 1:15pm. My delegation would like to invite all interested Missions, UN organizations and NGOs to attend.
I thank you.
The rule of law, good governance and a culture of lawfulness are essential elements of a prosperous human society. My delegation welcomes that the United Nations and ECOSOC subsidiary bodies have been acting as active fora to discuss crime prevention and the improvement of the criminal justice system.
In this connection, Japan will also proudly host the fourteenth UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Kyoto in 2020. The Crime Congress is the largest and most prominent UN meeting in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, taking place every five years. Multiple layers of experts and policy makers are brought together to discuss policies and practices.
Keeping pace with the ongoing discussion here in New York, this Crime Congress will discuss the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals from the perspective of the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice, which will be highly relevant to our commitment towards the 2030 agenda, particularly to the implementation of Goal 16.
Substantive discussions will soon begin in the regional groups’ preparatory meetings in early 2019. I should like to call on your active involvement in the process in order to have greater synergy and cohesion between the Crime Congress and other fora of related UN bodies.
Mr. Chair,
Illegal drugs are becoming more diverse, illicit drug trafficking is expanding globally, and the profits from these illegal ventures are used as resources for organized crime. To combat these issues, drug control policies of each member state must be implemented in a coordinated manner. In this regard, Japan supports the joint commitment adopted at the UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem in April 2016. My government also supports the principal role of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) as the policymaking body with prime responsibility for drug control issues. As a member of the CND, Japan continues to contribute to international drug control by utilizing its knowledge and experience.
It is also important for international communities to tackle emerging cybercrime issues in a coordinated manner. The Government of Japan has been engaging in capacity-building programs in the East Asian region and continues to support such programs.
The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and other open-ended intergovernmental expert groups have been openly discussing approaches to cybercrime problems with member states. Japan expects active discussions on cybercrime to continue at the CCPCJ base in Vienna.
Mr. Chair,
Corruption poses serious threats to economic growth and sustainable development. We should continue our collective efforts to combat corruption through existing international frameworks, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption. In 2019, Japan will co-chair the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, and we are resolved to make further contributions to the international fight against corruption.
I would like to reiterate Japan’s commitment to continue its efforts to confront crime and to take an active role in international cooperation in this field.
Lastly, the Permanent Mission of Japan, together with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, will hold a briefing to provide an update on the preparations for the Congress at Conference Room 12 today at 1:15pm. My delegation would like to invite all interested Missions, UN organizations and NGOs to attend.
I thank you.