UN Congress on Crime Prevention Continues Sessions

Doha, April 17 (QNA) - The sixth and last session on agenda item 4 of the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, currently underway in Doha in the presence of a large number of delegations, continued discussion Friday discussed "Public contribution to crime prevention and raising awareness of criminal justice: experiences and lessons learned". Margin Coplin from the Austria-based International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) has underlined the importance of the fight against corruption and the drawing up of strategies to address it, explaining its effect on justice and growth of business. He also touched on the issue of bribery and its effect on the violation of human rights and the spread of corruption. He stressed the role of business and the private sector in the fight against corruption and the raising of awareness of crime prevention and criminal justice, noting that $ 1 trillion is paid directly worldwide annually in bribes, as well as the cross-border flows, which reached $ 1.6 billion plus $ 500 billion wasted on matters relating to corruption in developing countries annually (according to World Bank estimates) plus 25 percent of the gross domestic product wasted on matters relating to corruption in the countries of the African continent. In Asia, the figure is 27 percent while in Europe it is between 8-10 percent. The Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is held in Doha, Qatar, from 12 to 19 April 2015. The overall theme, agenda items and the topics for the workshops of the Thirteenth Congress were determined by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 67/184 and reiterated in its resolution 68/185 adopted on 18 December 2013. The General Assembly also advanced preparations for the Thirteenth Congress through its resolutions 65/230 and 66/179. At its 23rd session in May 2014, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice dealt with outstanding organizational and substantive matters and recommended a draft resolution entitled "Follow-up to the Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and preparations for the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice" for final adoption by the General Assembly, which was approved by the Economic and Social Council on 16 July (ECOSOC resolution E/2014/154). Further information is contained in the most recent report of the Secretary-General on preparations for the Thirteenth Congress.(QNA)