Civil Society Coordination Meeting prior to the Regional Preparatory Meeting in Europe

Background

The Alliance of NGOs, in collaboration with the UNODC Civil Society Unit, will convene a Civil Society Coordination Meeting on 24 March 2025. This meeting will take place one day prior to the European Preparatory Meeting for the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, scheduled from 25-27 March 2025 in Vienna, Austria.

The 15th UN Crime Congress, under the theme "Accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: protecting people and planet and achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the digital age," will cover a wide range of topics, from evidence-based crime prevention strategies, and promoting people-centered, inclusive and responsive criminal justice systems to addressing and countering crime and elevating cooperation and partnerships. The interactive workshops to be held at the Congress will advance the debate on building resilient societies with a focus on protecting women, children and youth and ensuring equal access to justice for all as well as on strengthening data collection and promoting the responsible use of technologies in crime prevention and criminal justice.

The outcomes of a global civil society survey, disseminated by the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Alliance) and UNODC Civil Society Unit (UNODC CSU) in preparation for the 15th UN Crime Congress, will serve as a key resource for the meeting. Preliminary regional results of the survey will be presented and used as an impetus for discussions, helping to identify priorities and formulate evidence-based recommendations for Member States. This coordination meeting will help CSOs to refine these recommendations, foster collaboration, and ensure that civil society perspectives are reflected in regional discussions with Member States.

Objectives

The meeting aims to contribute to the following: 

• Present and discuss the preliminary European results of the global civil society survey conducted in preparation for the 15th UN Crime Congress, including its Regional Preparatory Meetings.
• Facilitate coordination among NGOs to ensure a cohesive and unified civil society voice during the European Regional Preparatory Meeting.

Format      

The Coordination Day meeting will take place on 24 March from 2 to 5 p.m. in hybrid format allowing in-person and virtual participation. The meeting will be held in English only. The agenda will consist of a substantive part and interactive discussions with the participants to refine civil society recommendations in alignment with the agenda items of the 15th UN Crime Congress and to coordinate civil society statements for the European Regional Preparatory Meeting.

Participation

The meeting will be open to civil society organizations including NGOs and academic institutions with expertise on matters related to the 15^th UN Crime congress and working or based in Europe and North America on matters related to the 15th UN Crime Congress. In-person participation will be limited to representatives registered for the Regional Preparatory Meeting.

Outcomes

• Coordinated contributions and recommendations of NGOs in the European region, to be delivered at the Regional Preparatory Meeting on key agenda items of the 15th UN Crime Congress.
• Strengthened collaboration and networking among regional CSOs working on crime prevention and criminal justice.

Draft agenda