UNODC, China to strengthen crime prevention, criminal justice cooperation through new joint action plan

VIENNA, 15 May 2018 (UN Information Service) — Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Liu Zhiqiang, Vice Minister of Justice of China, today signed a new joint plan of action to enhance strategic cooperation in areas of crime prevention and criminal justice.

Mr. Fedotov welcomed the action plan to identify priority areas for cooperation.

“China represents an important partner for UNODC in areas across our mandates on drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism, and I welcome this plan of action to strengthen crime prevention and criminal justice responses in support of the Sustainable Development Goals” said the Executive Director.

“UNODC is looking forward to working closely with China on priorities including enhancing access to legal aid, promoting alternatives to imprisonment, penal reform, preventing and combatting transnational organized crime as well as urban crime.”

Mr. Zhiqiang said: “The Joint Plan of Action on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was established based on extensive and in-depth consultation. I am very honoured to sign this Joint Plan with UNODC on behalf of the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China.

“With the signing of the Joint Plan of Action, which will greatly facilitate the exchanges and collaboration between the Ministry of Justice of China and UNODC, the practical cooperation between both sides is entering a new stage.”

The joint action plan was signed on the margins of the 27th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, taking place from 14 to 18 May in Vienna.