15th UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi
CRIME CONGRESS
The United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is the world's largest and most diverse gathering of policy-makers, practitioners, academia, intergovernmental organizations and civil society in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. The Congresses have been held every five years since 1955 in different parts of the world, dealing with a vast array of topics. They have made considerable impact in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice and influenced national and international policies and professional practices. The Congresses provide a forum for (a) the exchange of views between States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and individual experts representing various professions and disciplines; (b) the exchange of experiences in research, law and policy development; and (c) the identification of emerging trends and issues in crime prevention and criminal justice.
The Fifteenth Crime Congress will be held from 25 to 30 April 2026 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates under the overall 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”, in line with the General Assembly resolution 78/223.
News
NGOs Submissions for the Abu Dhabi Declaration
There is the possibility for NGOs to submit their own contributions to the Abu Dhabi Declaration to be adopted during the 15th Crime Congress (25 – 30 April 2026).
18 Nov, 2025
15th UN Crime Congress - The Guide for Multi-stakeholders Towards Abu-Dhabi 2026
A comprehensive guide for multi-stakeholder participation and ancillary events for the 15th UN Crime Congress
03 Nov, 2025
Follow-up information for CSO Participation in the 15th UN Crime Congress (Abu Dhabi, April 2026)
Including the recording of the Briefing for Civil Society on the 15th UN Crime Congress and its Preparations.
26 Sep, 2025
Participation of civil society and individual experts at the 15th UN Crime Congress.
Registration for the 15th Crime Congress will open in January 2026. Deadline to express interest for ECOSOC NGOs is 10 January 2026, for NGOs WITHOUT status it is 4 November 2025. There is different process for individual experts.
15 Sep, 2025
Application for the 15th UN Congress: NGOs without ECOSOC Status
NGOs that are not in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) are invited to apply for special accreditation in line with ECOSOC Resolution 1996/31, para 44. To apply for special accreditation for the 15th UN Crime Congress, please complete the form below by 4 November 2025. The following categories can apply as part of NGOs without consultative status with ECOSOC: NGOs, academic institutions, and private sector.
15 Sep, 2025
Civil Society Engagment at 15th Crime Congress - Secretariat To The Governing Bodies
06 Jun, 2025
Preparations for the Fifteenth Crime Congress
A number of events are held in the lead-up to the Fifteenth Congress, to raise awareness about the substantive and organizational preparations for 2026.
25 Nov, 2024
Civil Society Survey - Contribute to the preparations for the 15th UN Crime Congress
In preparation of the 15th United Nations Crime Congress, the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in cooperation with the UNODC Civil Society Unit, is launching a global survey as part of a broader consultation process. We strongly encourage your participation in this survey, designed to gather insights and input from non-governmental stakeholders working on crime prevention and criminal justice.
25 Nov, 2024