First Intersessional Meeting of the CCPCJ

On 12 January 2026, the Alliance participated in the First Intersessional Meeting of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). The meeting was held in preparation for the 15th UN Crime Congress, scheduled to take place from 25 to 30 April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, as it represented the first item on the agenda. 

During the session, the Chair, together with the Secretary, addressed key organizational matters related to the Crime Congress, including important deadlines for the submission of written statements and national position papers. Attention was also drawn to the election of the Congress President and the officers of the working groups. 

The role of civil society was explicitly acknowledged and emphasised by the Chair and several Member States. A total of 520 non-ECOSOC status NGOs and other entities have applied to take part in the Congress within the registration deadline, which is an exponential increase compared to 2015, when only 16 non-ECOSOC NGOs submitted applications. The event will also feature approximately 250 ancillary meetings. NGOs will have the possibility to contribute to the High-Level Segment through the delivery of a general statement. Statements should be approximately 3-5 minutes in length, with the option to submit a pre-recorded video statement within the same time limits.

The Alliance of NGOs will also deliver a joint statement on behalf of multi-stakeholders.  

During today’s meeting, the Alliance Chair, Ian Tennant, delivered a statement highlighting that NGO inputs are currently not reflected in the deliberations leading to the draft Declaration, thereby weakening meaningful participation. To enhance the visibility and impact of civil society contributions, the Alliance proposed the publication of NGO statements on the CCPCJ website.

Several States also delivered their statements, emphasising the importance of civil society participation and engagement in the processes. 

12 Jan, 2026