INTEGRATING CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN THE POST 2015

DEVELOPMENT AGENDA TO BE HELD ON 25 FEBRUARY 2015

Madam Chair
I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to H.E. Sam Kutesa, the President of the
General Assembly, the Government of Qatar and Partners for supporting discussions that
coincides with the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on Post-2015 Development Agenda.
I thank the key-note speakers and panellists for their thought provoking informative
presentations and I would like to highlight the following few points;
In our view, the nexus between crime prevention, criminal justice, rule of law and human rights
and sustainable development is irrefutable.
The Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, proposed a set of targets under goal
16, which relates to crime prevention and criminal justice. This follows a realization that poverty,
inequality, social, political and economic exclusion, unemployment, lack of education among
others, are major triggers of crime and violence in most societies, which undermine efforts to
achieve sustainable development. As a result, the future we want cannot solely focus on
economic growth but must create space for human development including criminal justice.
Crime prevention and Criminal justice consistent with the rule of law is one of the cross-cutting
issues necessary to achieving the post 2015 development agenda. Without it, discrimination
and marginalisation become entrenched in a society, and as a result some of the most
vulnerable people will never benefit from the SDGs as noted by Ms. Martin. However it is vital
for the post-2015 to take into account all drivers of poverty while promoting and protecting the
rule of law and access to justice.
We agree with Mrs. Khan, that well-functioning justice institutions guided by the rule of law are
critical to building peace and consolidating development gains. Crimes such as corruption, tax
evasion, money laundering, smuggling of arms and human trafficking flourish in the absence of
robust criminal justice institutions. Ineffective criminal justice systems cannot protect citizens
instead they allow crimes and violence to prevail and hamper social and economic
development.
Effort to strengthen criminal justice system is a key for national development planning and to
succeed we would need first to strengthen these institutions and enhance national enforcement
capacity. Capacity building is indispensable, especially in countries lacking capacity to
undertake such reforms themselves.
Much remains to be done, resource constraints continue to be a challenge, assistance to
developing countries is essential.
There is also a great need for enhanced international cooperation, especially in tackling trans
organized crimes. We must all come together to address the scourge of illicit financial flows,
including denying safe havens to multinationals that benefit from the proceeds of these ill-gotten
transactions.

We would need strengthened cooperation to tackle other vices, including terrorism and
extremism, which are consuming valuable resources that could have been deployed for
development cause.
I thank you Madam Chair