Civil Society Coordination Meeting, 1 July 2015

Jul 10, 2015

Participants:

Mr. Michael Platzer, Vienna Alliance
Ms. Andrada Filip, Vienna Alliance
Ms. Karen Smith, NY Alliance
Mr. Ugliesa Zvekic, Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime
Mr. Michael O’Connell, World Society of Victimology
Mr. John Dussich, World Society of Victimology
Ms. Janice Joseph, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
Mr. Oliver Robertson, Penal Reform International
Ms. Francesca Williams, Soroptimist International
Mr. Slawomir Redo, ACUNS Vienna
Ms. Mirella Dummar Frahi, UNODC Civil Society Team
Ms. Maria Idomir, UNODC Civil Society Team
Ms. Kidan Afessa, UNODC Civil Society Team

Agenda:

  1. Linking the post-2015 development agenda and the Doha Declaration through monitoring the implementation of SDG indicators
  2. Themes for the next sessions of the Crime Commission
  3. Enhanced Member States – civil society partnership on crime related issues
  4. Other business
  1. Linking the post-2015 development agenda and the Doha Declaration through monitoring the implementation of SDG indicators

1.1. SDG indicators

It was mentioned that the indicators for the post-2015 development framework are currently being discussed in various fora. A preliminary list, including input from various UN entities (UNODC, UNICEF, UN Women, OHCHR), was shared by UNODC. However, the discussion was still ongoing and various meetings are taking place especially in New York on this topic. One of the participants informed that representatives of national statistical offices will meet in August and October 2015 in New York to discuss the indicators for the implementation of the SDGs, since it was considered that Member States needed to be more involved in this process. The UN Statistical Commission will also meet in February 2016 to further discuss the indicators once the Goals will be approved . It was suggested that clarity needed to be gained on the indicators currently being discussed, in order to decide which of them to support.

1.2. Doha Declaration and the post-2015 agenda

In was considered that there was a role for civil society to play in the implementation of the Doha Declaration into the wider framework of the post-2015 agenda, in part through monitoring the implementation of the SDG indicators.

In addition, a mid-term review of the implementation of the Doha Declaration and of the Doha Civil Society Declaration in 2017 in Doha was suggested, to take stock of what will have been achieved by then and to update the roadmap from Doha to Japan based on the outcome of this exercise. It was considered that this would also be a useful opportunity to review the implementation of the SDGs up to that point.

1.3. Role of the Alliance

Given that not all NGOs are intimately involved in the specifics of the SDG process, it was suggested that the Alliance could raise awareness on the post-2015 process and encourage the participation of civil society in supporting the adoption of relevant indicators and in monitoring their implementation. As a first step, the Alliance could reach out to its network of partners through a document outlining the essence of the post-2015 agenda and how civil society could get engaged in this process.

  1. Themes for the next sessions of the Crime Commission

At the Civil Society Hearing held on the margins of the 24th Crime Commission, Ambassador Luis Alfonso De Alba has invited civil society to provide feedback to the proposed themes for the next five sessions of the Crime Commission. In addition to these, the following themes were suggested:

  • smuggling of migrants, since this is a global problem, closely linked to the implementation of UNTOC;
  • counter-terrorism: a criminal justice system approach to tackling terrorism, rather than the military one currently used was called for. Another dimension to explore under this heading is the radicalization of youth;
  • social justice, for which the support of the Vatican could be attained, given the Pope’s interest in this issue;
  • artificial intelligence (AI): an area of concern in the U.S.A./California, where it was recognized that policies for the development of AI were necessary.
  1. Enhanced Member States – civil society partnership on crime related issues

Attention was drawn to the need to organize more meetings similar to the Civil Society Hearing held on the margins of the 24th Crime Commission. These meetings would be structured opportunities, leading to an increased impact of civil society participation in the international policy debate. However, it was noted that during the annual sessions of the Crime Commission, given the many competing events taking place at the same time and the small delegations of some Member States, it was challenging to identify the best time to organize a Civil Society Hearing.

The Alliance was encouraged to participate in the work of the Crime Commission throughout the year, not only during its annual sessions. Intersessional meetings, as well as the reconvened session of the Crime Commission serve as opportunities for civil society to engage with Member States, for example, through delivering statements.

It was considered that NGOs working on crime related issues can have the greatest impact by reporting on the implementation of UNTOC and UNCAC at national level. It was suggested that the Alliance could position itself strategically by calling for civil society participation in the implementation of these conventions at the Crime Commission, as well the Conference of the Parties to UNTOC and the Conference of the States Parties to UNCAC.

In an effort to ensure transparency, it was noted that civil society should be involved in compiling the data submitted to UNODC. Regarding the implementation of UNTOC and UNCAC, third-party evaluations, in particular by academia, were deemed essential. The Implementation Review Mechanism of UNCAC was cited as best practice, given that 80% of the reviewed countries have included civil society organizations in this process. However, it was acknowledged, that given different interpretations of the rules of procedure, the participation of civil society in the working groups of UNCAC remained a contentious issue.

It was suggested that the web site of the Alliance could be used as platform to inform members and stakeholders of the past and current agenda of the Alliance, so as to obtain clarity and focus on what has been attained and the goals of the Alliance ahead. In addition, the Alliance web site could serve as a platform, where information on how civil society can participate in the implementation of UNTOC and UNCAC could be made available.

  1. Other business

Upcoming meetings:

  • September 2015 (precise date and technical modality tbd): next coordination meeting
  • September 2015 (precise date tbd, Vienna): Crime Commission intersessional meeting
  • 25-27 September 2015 (New York): UN Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda
  • 28 September-3, 5-6 October 2015 (New York): General Debate, 70th session of the UN General Assembly
  • 10-11 December 2015 (Vienna): reconvened 24th session of the Crime Commission

Technical modalities for the Coordination Committee to keep in touch at no or limited cost to be explored.

To date (9 July 2015), these are the ones listed below, which an additional proposal made by Italy to have the smuggling of migrants as theme of the 25th session of the Crime Commission (2016):

  1. Strengthening social policies as a tool for crime prevention: fostering social development, while addressing factors that contribute to crime and victimization
  2. Effective crime prevention and criminal justice responses to adequately prevent and address terrorism; emerging challenges
  3. The responsibility of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems in preventing and countering crime motivated by intolerance or discrimination
  4. Public Participation, civil society and the promotion of a culture of lawfulness; crime prevention and criminal justice as a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary, integrated effort.
  5. Follow-up to the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice