Uzbekistan will host the 16th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2031, said Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration, who is attending the 15th congress now under way in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The decision is also written into the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted by participants.
"I see this as an important sign of international trust in Uzbekistan: trust in our openness, in our readiness to engage in dialogue and join forces for a common goal. Five years of preparation lie ahead," Mirziyoyeva wrote on her Telegram channel.
The current congress is focused on the links between crime prevention, criminal justice, the rule of law and digital transformation. Issues on the agenda include combating transnational crime, terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption and environmental crime, as well as protecting children and strengthening the rule of law.
Speaking at the event, Mirziyoyeva said: "We are living through a difficult moment in human history. Crises are hitting one part of the world after another. Crime is taking new forms. It crosses borders with ease, moves through technology and adapts faster than the system meant to contain it."
She said crime prevention and justice "cannot remain abstract ideas debated from a distance," adding that they "must reach people, or they will mean nothing."
The congress runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1. It has been held every five years since 1955 in different parts of the world. As a global forum, it enables states and practitioners in the field, including representatives of international organizations, civil society and academia, to exchange information and best practices.
On the sidelines of the congress, Mirziyoyeva met Monica Juma, U.N. Under-Secretary-General and executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "We cooperate actively with UNODC and are implementing joint projects," she said.
Mirziyoyeva also met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They discussed expanding trade and economic cooperation between the two countries and touched on the development of artificial intelligence.
