Abu Dhabi hosts 5,000 delegates for UN crime prevention congress opening

More than 5,100 participants from 110 countries gathered in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, 26 September, for the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The event, described by the UN as the largest of its kind to date, serves as a global platform to align national laws with emerging technological threats, including artificial intelligence. Global Ministers Convene in Abu Dhabi The congress features delegations led by more than 40 ministers and involves over 200 scheduled events involving the private sector, civil society, and academia. Monica Juma, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), stated during the opening session that the gathering marks a transition of the global criminal justice agenda from the previous host, Japan, to the United Arab Emirates. Juma emphasized that the scale of the turnout reflects a renewed focus on multilateralism. The primary objective of the week-long event is to ensure that international legal institutions can respond to criminal activities that move at the speed of modern technology. The UNODC head noted that technology must be integrated into justice systems to prevent it from becoming an "accelerator of harm." The Abu Dhabi Declaration and Pledge for Justice The congress is centered on the Abu Dhabi Declaration, a document intended to redefine crime prevention strategies for the next five years. To ensure these policies result in tangible action, the UNODC…