By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Austria, June 02, 2026 - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Dr Monica Juma has reaffirmed the agency's commitment to strengthening international cooperation on crime prevention and criminal justice following high-level engagements at the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ35) in Vienna.
On the sidelines of the conference at the Vienna International Centre, Dr Juma met China's Vice-Minister of Justice, Hon. Wu Yanjun, where the two leaders reviewed progress under the UNODC–China Joint Action Plan and explored opportunities for deeper collaboration.
"We reaffirmed our commitment to implementing the UNODC–China Joint Action Plan, which provides a strong basis for our cooperation," Dr Juma said.
She noted that discussions focused on expanding cooperation in key areas of rule of law and criminal justice, including legal aid, prison reform, youth crime prevention, anti-corruption initiatives, fraud prevention and the fight against cybercrime.
The meeting comes amid growing global concern over increasingly sophisticated forms of transnational crime, driven by rapid technological change and expanding digital networks.
Earlier during CCPCJ35, Dr Juma participated in a high-level event hosted by Saida Mirziyoyeva that focused on empowering women, children and youth in preventing crime and violence.
Dr Juma emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of crime, arguing that prevention must remain central to global responses.
"Prevention must be at the centre of responses by addressing exclusion, lack of opportunity and vulnerability that drive exploitation and organised crime," she said.
She further stressed that the meaningful participation of women and young people is essential in designing effective crime prevention and criminal justice strategies.
Addressing the commission's 35th session, Dr Juma warned that the international community is facing a rapidly evolving criminal landscape characterized by increasingly transnational, digital and complex threats.
"We meet at a time when the foundations of multilateralism are being tested and the global criminal landscape is rapidly evolving — becoming more transnational, more digital and more complex," she told delegates.
She called for stronger international cooperation, dialogue and collective responsibility in tackling organised crime, while reaffirming UNODC's commitment to advancing the rule of law worldwide.
"Through this Commission, our collective responsibility is to ensure that multilateralism delivers real impact that helps make people safer, better protected and less forgotten," Dr Juma said.
Her remarks underscored the need for sustained global partnerships to combat transnational organised crime and strengthen justice systems, while advancing UNODC's mission of building safer, more just and prosperous societies.
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