UN officials urge stronger cooperation against evolving criminal threats

 The UN Security Council holds a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 4, 2026. [Xinhua]

The 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) opened in Vienna on Monday, with officials calling for stronger international cooperation and more agile criminal justice systems to address increasingly complex and evolving security threats.

Speaking at the opening session, Monica Juma, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said that the foundations of multilateralism are being tested while criminal networks continue to adapt and evolve.

She stressed that the CCPCJ remains an essential platform for governments, practitioners, and civil society to work together in tackling shared challenges in crime prevention and criminal justice.

In a video message, President of the UN Economic and Social Council Lok Bahadur Thapa underscored the importance of combating organized crime, corruption, cybercrime, and terrorism, saying such efforts are critical to advancing sustainable development and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

During the five-day session, delegates are expected to consider three draft resolutions addressing emerging criminal justice challenges: preventing and combating the transnational sextortion of children, countering trafficking in persons for forced criminality, and strengthening crime prevention and criminal justice responses to combat fraud.

The proposed measures reflect growing concern over the increasingly digital, transnational, and interconnected nature of crime, as well as the need for innovative, coordinated and victim-centred approaches to law enforcement and justice.

As the United Nations' principal policymaking body on crime prevention and criminal justice, the CCPCJ brings together member states and experts to shape international responses to evolving criminal threats.

The session runs through June 5 and will feature plenary discussions, more than 100 side events, and 16 exhibitions.