3rd Informal Meeting of the Alliance

Minutes

The informal meeting via Webex was moderated by the Secretary of the Alliance, Tobias Krachler. The Chair, Anna Alvazzi del Frate, welcomed the participants and provided the latest updates, which had already anticipate via email to all members, as follows:

1. - Postponement of the Crime Congress
2. - Postponement of the Crime Commission
3. - Decision by the Board of the Alliance to postpone the Annual General Assembly to 14 October and to convene an extraordinary General Assembly Meeting on 20 May

She also informed the participants that the working group on by-laws has completed its work and thanked the members (Hertha Kaschitz, Evelyn Dürmayer and Marlene Parenzan, with the assistance of the Treasurer Ingeborg Geyer) for their excellent work.

Gary Hill shared information on the tentative period in which the postponed Congress could take place, on the basis of availability of the premises (end of November-early December). He said that the organizers are working towards maintaining the same structure and to reschedule all events in the same time slots (same day of the week, same time). Only 20 ancillary meetings have been withdrawn out of more 300 planned events. He informed, however, that there is the risk that the length of the Congress will be shortened, thus the possibility of shorter ancilliary meetings (now the plan is for 90 minute events, which could become 70 or 60). Gary invited all organizers to upload all available documentation, PPTs and publications on the website well in advance (http://www.un-congress.org/).

The meeting continued with a round of introductions of participants, each describing their own activities especially in relation to this particular global crisis. Concerns raised by many participants included challenges for civil society to remain informed and involved during the COVid 19 crisis and possibly in its aftermath, which could have protracted effects on the international community, especially as regards the ability of civil society to participate in the general debate.

During the discussion, participants from the Civil Society Team (CST) of UNODC shared information on their current work on supporting civil society organizations for implementing UNTOC and UNCAS, as well as Congress preparation, which are clearly challenged by the home office setting. A call for proposal for grants for UNCAC implementation has been announced on the CST homepage.

Jay Albanese asked whether there was a plan for rescheduling the CCPCJ after the Congress as originally planned, or whether it could be advanced. Mirella Dummar of CST said that nothing has been announced yet, so the various options will be considered as soon as the new dates will be fixed.

In discussing next steps, the Chair informed that the invitation for the extraordinary GA will be sent to members on 22April with all relevant documentation; due to the postponement of the Annual General Assembly, the call for nominations has been extended until 2 September. She thanked the members of the Nominations Committee (Marlene Parenzan, James Gondels and Sarah Pirker) for continuing their work until then. She announced that the next informal meeting will take place on 5 May.

The meeting was closed at 17:00