Thank you, Mr. Chairperson,
At the outset, I would like to convey my sincere
congratulations to you for being elected as the Chairperson
of the 27th
session of the CCPCJ. I assure you that you can
count on the full support and cooperation from the
Japanese delegation.
I would also like to extend my appreciation to the
Secretariat for their dedication in preparing this session.
Mr. Chairperson,
Allow me to start with the 14th
Crime Congress to
be held in Japan.
The Crime Congress, which is held every 5 years, is
the largest and most diverse UN conference in the field of
crime prevention and criminal justice, and has been for
over 60 years.
As decided at the previous session of the CCPCJ,
the overall theme of the 14th
Crime Congress will be
"Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule
of law: toward the achievement of the 2030 Agenda".
As for the venue, last year in August, Japan decided
that the 14th
Congress should be held in Kyoto.
Kyoto is the old capital of Japan and a major tourist
attraction. But it is also the city where the 4th
Crime
Congress in 1970 was held. This will be the second time in
50 years that Japan will be hosting the Crime Congress
and it will be our pleasure to host it in such a historic city.
This session of the CCPCJ will formally approve the
venue and decide on the exact dates of the 14th
Crime
Congress.
Immediately after this morning session of the
plenary, Japan will be organizing a side event on the
preparation of the Crime Congress at room M3. We look
forward to seeing you there and would like to welcome
you all in Kyoto at 2020.
Mr. Chairperson,
The main theme of the 14th
Crime Congress is
closely associated with the Sustainable Development
Goals, the SDGs. In this regard, Japan welcomes the
initiatives by Member States such as the Conference on
Sustainable Development, Crime Prevention and Peaceful
Society, co-organized by the Government of Thailand and
UNODC
To achieve these goals, Japan has taken numerous
and wide-ranged measures, led not only by governments
but also by other stakeholders.
In December last year, the Japanese government
organized the "SDGs Action Plan 2018" designating eight
priority areas.
One of these areas is "Achieving peaceful, safe and
secure societies". This is very much linked to Goal 16,
which is the bedrock for sustainable development. In this
regard, Japan would like to emphasize the importance of
permeating the rule of law throughout society by fostering
a culture of lawfulness.
Mr. Chairperson,
The year 2020 will mark 5 years since the adoption
of the SDGs, and we will have 10 more years before
reaching the targeted year 2030.
The 14th
Crime Congress will be an excellent
opportunity to reflect on the progress that has been made
over the first 5 years, and to identify the challenges for the
next decade.
Furthermore, looking beyond the 2020 Crime
Congress, it is important to engage youth and explore how
we can work together after 2020 to achieve our common
goals.
We strongly believe that the 14th
Crime Congress
will be a great opportunity, and Japan has decided to
organize a Youth Forum in close coordination with the
UNODC.
Japan will continue to make every effort to bring the
next Congress to a successful conclusion.
We look forward to your advice and support.
Thank you very much for your kind attention.