New York Meeting Discusses "Education for Justice"

New York Meeting Discusses

New York – Information Office – 07 November

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has held an event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on "Education for Justice", within the framework of follow-up to the achievements of the World Program for the Doha Declaration of the Thirteenth Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 2015.

The theme was "Education as a Source of Drug Security, Crime and Terrorism" as one of the four main themes of the Doha World Declaration, in the context of a partnership with UNESCO to develop a range of creative tools to support primary, secondary and tertiary education for children and young people.

Speakers from Qatar and the United Nations highlighted efforts in the Education for Justice initiative to enhance security from drugs, crime and terrorism and to contribute to the rule of law through change and modernization of education.

HE Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi noted that the Education for Justice initiative inspires children and young people and reinforces their spirit of innovation in order to protect societies from extremism, violence and drugs.

For her part, HE the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani commended the cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UNESCO in the implementation of the World Program for the Doha Declaration.

For his part, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Yury Fedotov praised the support of the State of Qatar and its interest in the implementation of the Doha Declaration and the promotion of the rule of law, particularly in the area of education for justice.

"I am proud of our partnership to promote a culture of respect for the rule of law for more resilient societies," said Marie Paule Roudil, Director of Office and UNESCO Representative to the United Nations in New York . She added that "UNESCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are working towards the goals of the 2015 Doha Declaration, Integrating crime prevention and criminal justice into the broader agenda of the United Nations.

On the importance of young people in the success of efforts to achieve the Education for Justice initiative, United Nations Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake stressed the need for quality education for all children as essential to the prevention of crime and violence and the promotion of human rights.

"With the support of the State of Qatar, a range of innovative tools (education for justice) have been put in place, contributing to the prevention of crime and violence," said Dikembe Mutombo, humanitarian activist and Chairman of Dikembe Mutombo.

For his part, HE Major General Dr. Abdullah Yousif Al-Mal, Advisor to HE the Minister of Interior, who is also Chairman of the Follow-up Committee for the implementation of the Doha Declaration, said that this special event highlights the role of education in promoting the rule of law within the activities related to the implementation of the Doha Declaration, adding that this would broaden our perspective on education and the importance of youth participation in the implementation of the Doha Declaration. "

He also thanked the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UNESCO for their efforts in implementing the Declaration's agenda to strengthen criminal and humanitarian justice systems.

HE noted in a press statement after the event that the period from 2015 to 2018 was marked by significant achievements in the Doha Declaration on Education for Justice. He pointed out that the latest statistics of the United Nations indicate that the number of countries benefiting from the projects of the World Program of the Doha Declaration since the adoption of the Declaration in 2015, reached more than 166 different countries, benefiting 4,862 people from the awareness and education activities component and various initiatives, along with 3,467 beneficiaries in the center of technical support.

"Qatar's support for the Doha Declaration in partnership with the United Nations is part of its ongoing efforts to assist States, particularly developing countries, to address organized crime, to build effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems, to promote the rule of law and to achieve sustainable development, in order to have positive impact on the international peace and security ".

HE Major General Dr. Al-Mal said that Qatar wanted to put the global program of the Doha Declaration on implementation and started discussions with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. It was agreed to implement the Declaration with its four pillars of "Integrity of the Judiciary, Education for Justice, Their integration into society, crime prevention among young people through sport).

He said that the cost of these pillars was estimated at $ 49 million. The Government of the State of Qatar fully covered the amount in agreement with the United Nations and set up a four-year program that would end before the start of the 14th Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to be held in Japan in 2020, he added.

The Doha Declaration is a synopsis of the outcome of the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Doha in April 2015, one of the largest programs to be implemented bilaterally between the United Nations and one State.

The program is implemented through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), witnessing many activities , as well as the achievements made in this regard.