The UN was created on this day in 1945, with the ratification of the UN Charter. A few decades later in 1981, HEUNI was established through an Agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Finland. HEUNI is the European regional institute in the United Nations Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention programme network (PNI). We closely collaborate with the 18 other members of the PNI network, and specifically work to advance the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
As part of the Agenda 2030, The Kyoto Declaration was adopted in March 2021. The Declaration outlines international priorities in the prevention of crime and the improvement of criminal justice. Members of the PNI network have been making great strides this past year to advance the Kyoto Declaration and Agenda 2030.
Online platform on domestic violence
The Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) launched an online learning programme called DV Learning (Domestic Violence Learning). This public platform was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Office of Attorney General and the Royal Thai Police. So far, the platform has assisted 433 students in learning about domestic violence. The platform has sections on emotional abuse, neglect, coercive control, the psychological impacts of domestic violence, as well as a safety plan checklist. For those working with survivors of domestic violence, there are extensive legal and social resources available. This online programme advances Pillar 1 of the Kyoto Declaration, ‘Advancing Crime Prevention’. Providing education on domestic violence improves the living conditions and safety of many people. Domestic violence tends to be a hidden crime, and an open platform like DV Learning can help to destigmatise the experiences of survivors and support them in leaving and recovering from the situation.
Discover the DV Learning course here (in Thai).
Restorative juvenile criminal justice course
The Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) has launched their second course in juvenile criminal justice. The Diploma in Juvenile Criminal Justice: situations, trends and challenges from a restorative perspective, was created with the support of the Judicial Training Centre of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and began teaching on 3rd May 2023. There are 95 students enrolled in this 10-month course. The course directly supports Pillar 2 of the Kyoto Declaration, ‘Advancing Criminal Justice’ by taking the important perspective of restorative justice in the case of young people and minors.
Climate change and violent extremism
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) collaborated with SWISSAID, to publish Perceptions of climate change and violent extremism in October 2022. The research paper teases out the relationship between climate change and violent extremism in Chad. The research team (consisting of Manuela Brunero, Matthew Burnett Stuart, Olivier Guiryanan, Danielle Hull, and Alice Roberti) conducted 131 interviews across four provinces in Chad. The interviewees included community members, traditional leaders, and administrative and institutional authorities. The socio-economic vulnerabilities brought about by climate change have led to increased recruitment and propaganda sharing by local extremist groups, who capitalise on these vulnerabilities. The interviewees and researchers have brought to light the dangerous connection between what they term ’community resilience and climate insecurity’. This project has directly supported Pillar 4 of the Kyoto Declaration, ‘International cooperation, and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime’. Research which connects the climate crisis with national security, politics, and criminal activity, is urgently needed.
Read the full publication here (in English).
Drug trafficking
The African Regional Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFRI) presented a research paper at the Criminal Justice Seminar in Tokyo, Japan. The seminar took place between 28th February and 10th March 2023. Andrew Munanura, UNAFRI’s Legal and Training Consultant presented Current drug crimes in Francophone West Africa & counter-measures. Munanura reviewed how drug trafficking has destabilising effects on West and Central Africa. In this region, drug trafficking has a great impact on public health, economic activity, governance and national security. Munanura delves into the current state of armed conflicts, pharmaceutical sales, and corruption, and highlights steps forward. This research contributes to Pillar 4 of the Declaration, ‘International Cooperation, and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime’. This research is crucial to mapping out drug trafficking operations, the conditions which facilitate this practice, and the effects it has on communities.
Read more about this research in UNAFRI’s newsletter
To find out more about our fellow partners at PNI, please continue here or read the latest issue of the PNI Newsletter.