About

Our Milestones

The NGO Alliance has the mandate to coordinate NGOs with a focus on crime prevention and criminal justice and facilitate their interaction with the relevant UN bodies and processes. In particular, the Alliance connects NGOs with UNODC and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) by facilitating access, supporting relevant work areas, providing information, surveying, and drawing attention to emerging areas of concern. As a result, the Alliance engages a wide sector of civil society in contributing to the development and implementation of global policies.

The beginning of the UN work in the area of crime prevention and criminal justice started soon after World War II, with the establishment of a social defence section in Geneva. This was an important step in the direction of broader, possibly community-based, crime prevention policies, which was followed with attention by civil society. Four prominent international professional associations, namely the International Society of Social Defence, the International Association of Penal Law, the International Society for Criminology and the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation, channeled most of the academic and civil society engagement in the UN crime prevention and criminal justice programme since its inception.

2021 — Fourteenth UN Crime Congress, Kyoto, Japan

2020 — Formal Memorandum of Understanding with UNODC

2019 — The Alliance was registered as an NGO in Austria

(Verein von Nichtregierungsorganisationen für Verbrechensprävention und Strafrechtspflege)

2015 — Thirteenth UN Crime Congress, Doha, Qatar

2010 — Twelfth UN Crime Congress, Salvador, Brazil

2005 — Eleventh UN Crime Congress, Bangkok, Thailand

2003 — Establishment of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as a final merge of the UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and the Centre for International Crime Prevention (CICP), started with the Office f

2000 — Tenth UN Crime Congress, Vienna, Austria

1995 — Ninth UN Crime Congress, Cairo, Egypt

1992 — The newly established UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held its first Session in Vienna after the UN Committee on Crime Prevention and Control was dissolved.

1990 — UNGA 45/107 on international cooperation in crime prevention and criminal justice in the context of development, calls for broader involvement of, and assistance by, non-government organizations in o

1990 — Eighth UN Crime Congress, Havana, Cuba

1985 — Seventh UN Crime Congress, Milan, Italy – Adoption of the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, with strong support by civil society

1980 — Sixth UN Crime Congress, Caracas, Venezuela

1975 — Fifth UN Crime Congress, Geneva, Switzerland

1972 — Establishment of Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in NY

1970 — Fourth UN Crime Congress, Kyoto, Japan

1965 — Third UN Crime Congress, Stockholm, Sweden

1960 — Second UN Crime Congress, London, UK

1955 — First UN Crime Congress, Geneva, Switzerland