PRI at the 14th UN Crime Congress
The rescheduled 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice will be held from 7 – 12 March 2021 in Kyoto, Japan under the overall theme “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda”. The UN ‘Crime Congress’, held once every five years since 1955, adopts a political declaration that sets the crime prevention and criminal justice agenda for the next five years. It is therefore of key relevance to PRI’s mission.
Due to ongoing travel restrictions, the Kyoto Crime Congress will be held in a hybrid format, with limited delegates attending in person and significant online participation from around the world. PRI will contribute to discussions in various sessions and ‘ancillary meetings’ (side events) as detailed below, and will publish analysis of the declaration following the event. Follow our delegation on Twitter! @PenalReformInt
Note: links below will take you to recordings of the events as they become available.
Monday 8 March
Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration of Women Prisoners and Offenders (09.00 – 10.30 JST / 00.00 – 01.30 GMT)
PRI’s Regional Director for South Caucasus, Tsira Chanturia will share PRI’s work with women in criminal justice systems in Georgia at this side event, hosted by PRI’s partner the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ).
Mental health in prison settings = Better health and security for the community at large (11:30 – 13:00 JST / 02.30 – 04.00 GMT)
In this side event hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), PRI’s Africa Programme Manager, Doreen N. Kyazze, will give input on working to improve understanding on mental health in Uganda among prison staff.
Promoting prison-based rehabilitation programmes and post-release services to foster prisoners’ social reintegration (16:30 – 18:00 JST / 07.30 – 09.00 GMT)
This side event hosted by UNODC will discuss best practices and make recommendations to better support states to develop programmes on education, vocational training and work in prisons, to improve employability and social reintegration upon release. PRI’s Executive Director Olivia Rope will discuss key trends and challenges in the area of prison rehabilitation programmes.
Monday 8 March / Tuesday 9 March
Workshop 2: Reducing reoffending: identifying risks and developing solutions (Monday 8 March Afternoon – Tuesday 9 March Morning (JST)
In the third panel of this workshop, focused on ‘Taking a Multi-faceted Approach to Ensure Continuous Support and Services for Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Offenders’, PRI’s Executive Director Olivia Rope will present PRI’s innovative project delivered with partners in Georgia which provided multi-faceted support to women in conflict with the law.
Tuesday 9 March
A Decade of the Bangkok Rules: Advancements, Challenges and Opportunities (14:00 – 15:30 JST / 05.00 – 06.30 GMT)
This side event held by TIJ and co-sponsored by PRI, marks 10 years since the adoption of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules). Panelists include PRI’s Africa Programme Manager, Doreen Kyazze, and Advisory Council member, Coletta A. Youngers.
Life imprisonment: the use of it internationally and what is to be done (11:30 – 13:00 JST / 02.30 – 04.00 GMT)
This high-level event will examine why the use of life imprisonment has increased, and the human rights and corrections-related challenges faced in implementing the sentence. Panelists include the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Portugal’s Minister of Justice and Mr Shoji Sakurai, who spent 29 years in Japanese prison under a life sentence and was then acquitted. Download flyer for full programme.
Hosted by PRI and co-sponsored by Portugal, Austria, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), University of Nottingham, American Civil Liberties Union, Howard League for Penal Reform, Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
Wednesday 10 March
Global Prison Trends (14:00 – 15:30 JST / 05.00 – 06.30 GMT)
This side event will consider some of the key trends and challenges in prison systems worldwide, with insight from the upcoming Global Prison Trends 2021, including the impact of the global pandemic and ways forward. Hosted by PRI and co-sponsored by the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ).
Friday 12 March
Towards Resilient Child Justice Systems in times of Crises (09:00 – 10:30 JST / 00.00 – 01.30 GMT)
This side event will examine challenges in supporting justice system reform to improve compliance with international child rights standards and develop resilience to ensure access to justice for children towards peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. Taghreed Jaber, PRI’s Regional Director for Middle East North Africa will be on the panel. Co-sponsored by Terre des hommes, UNODC Justice Section, PRI, International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates.