Fall 2022 News
Follow us on Twitter @Crim_WO_Borders

In May, we virtually attended UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice’s 30th session.
Our Video: The Urge to Action versus the Patience to Evaluate, was shown at Second intersessional consultation (on Implementation) of the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, 14 June 2022. Video shown by the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P05dzIbqEe0&t=1s

We attended the civil society session:
Side event: “Partnership-based prevention of organized crime-promising practices in the implementation of UNTOC review mechanism.” UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. May 17, 2022.

We co-sponsored side event panel session: "Criminalizing Ecocide: A New Deterrent to Crimes that Affect the Environment." UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Organized by Socialist International Women with the support of the Climate Counsel, Criminologists Without Borders, Earth League International, Global Witness, the Stop Ecocide Foundation and Stop Ecocide International. May 18, 2022.
https://www.stopecocide.earth/events/criminalising-ecocide-a-new-deterrent-to-crimes-that-affect-the-environment

Criminologists Without Borders President Jay Albanese was elected a Vice-Chair of the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (https://crimealliance.org). Member Phil Reichel was also elected.

 Jay Albanese and Phil Reichel have written "The United Nations and Its Connections to ASC and ACJS," an article published in The Criminologist, and also posted at https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6971519793820483584/

            Environmental Crimes
Our Video:  International Cooperation on Crimes against the Environment.
Contribution to UN CCPCJ Expert Discussions on Crimes that Affect the Environment.
1st intersessional meeting. A statement of Criminologists Without Borders. Video is posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSU8JEHXy7o  (3 minutes) February 16, 2022.

Criminologists without Borders co-sponsored four sessions at the 66^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in March, 2022.  The titles of the sessions and their video recordings are below.

Feminist Approaches to Justice: South Asian Women in Justice Professions https://youtu.be/92crY4abgHY 

Feminist Approaches to Justice: Women Justice Professionals Helping Women in the Changing World of Work https://youtu.be/IN10UPPPF5I

Feminist Approaches to Justice: Women, Disasters and Climate Change: The Research Speaks https://jjay-cuny.zoom.us/rec/share/13Tp7ZXGMkKgqwAjDZSo1HcENlC7aey9mOXtmS3jQJoT08jYwYJGTq3eX4d89bFA.pSvZM_DDEzy1T-fP

Feminist Approaches to Justice: Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls https://youtu.be/8o8aEH49Ojo

Selected papers from these appear in a special issue of the International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice. 

Selected papers from CWB’s co-sponsored sessions at the 65^th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women appeared this summer in a special issue of Violence Against Women. The issue is entitled “Prioritizing the Elimination of Violence Against Women Worldwide: Lessons From the 65th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.” It is temporarily available from Sage Publishing for free downloads, until the end of September. You can access the special issue here https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/vawa/28/8

You can also listen to a podcast about the special issue at: http://sagecriminology.sage-publications.libsynpro.com/violence-against-women-lessons-from-the-65th-session-of-the-un-commission-on-the-status-of-women.

 

Negotiations are currently underway for a new UN cybercrime convention at UNHQ in New York. The Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes is holding its Third Session in New York now until September 9^th.  https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/cybercrime/ad_hoc_committee/ahc_third_session/main.html.  Follow the commentary by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime on Twitter@GI_TOC. 

What are we are reading?

UNODC (2022).  Organized crime and gender: Issues relating to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.  https://www.unodc.org/documents/organized-crime/tools_and_publications/Issue_Paper_Organized_Crime_and_Gender_1.pdf

The newest UNODC World Drug Report. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2022.html

UN Statistical Commission (2022) Statistical framework for measuring the gender-related killings of women and girls. Prepared by UNODC and UN Women.  https://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/53rd-session/documents/BG-3j-Crime&CriminalJusticeStats-E.pdf

Blaustein, J.,Chodor,T. & Pino,N.W.(2022).Unraveling the crime-development nexus. RomanLittlefield

Zabyelina, Y. & Thachuk, K. (Eds.) The private sector and organized crime.  Routledge. 

Western Hemisphere Anti-Corruption Index.  https://whaci.org/

Gallien, M. & Weigand, F. (Eds.) The Routledge handbook of smuggling.  Routledge.

Brun, J.-P., Cebreiro Gomez, A., Julien, R., Waruguru, J., Ndubai, J.W., Owens, J:, Siddhesh, R., Soto, Y.E. (2022). Taxing crime : A whole-of-government approach to fighting corruption, money laundering, and tax crimes. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/37608

 

Is your university a member of the UN Academic Impact? There are many benefits to joining and no cost.  Information is here: https://academicimpact.un.org/   For criminal justice programs, consider joining the network of E4J (Education for Justice) https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/network.html.  Explore the many modules in the various UN languages that may help you in your teaching (https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/tertiary/index.html).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Spring 2022 News
Criminologists Without Borders

Video: The Urge to Action versus the Patience to Evaluate, written and produced by Jay Albanese. Shown at Second intersessional consultation (on Implementation) of the Ad Hoc Committee to Elaborate a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes, 14 June 2022. Video shown by the Alliance of NGOs on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P05dzIbqEe0&t=1s

Attended civil society session:
Side event: “Partnership-based prevention of organized crime-promising practices in the implementation of UNTOC review mechanism.” UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. May 17, 2022.

Co-sponsored side event panel session: "Criminalizing Ecocide: A New Deterrent to Crimes that Affect the Environment." UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Organized by Socialist International Women with the support of the Climate Counsel, Criminologists Without Borders, Earth League International, Global Witness, the Stop Ecocide Foundation and Stop Ecocide International. May 18, 2022.
https://www.stopecocide.earth/events/criminalising-ecocide-a-new-deterrent-to-crimes-that-affect-the-environment

Workshop participant:
Stakeholder Engagement in the Implementation of the Review Mechanism of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: Self-assessment questionnaire” (SE4U) 4-6 April 2022.

Presentation: What Offenses are we Prosecuting? Long-term trends & trying to figure out why. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Las Vegas. March 2022.

Winter 2022 News
Criminologists Without Borders

Pending COVID situation globally, meetings and conferences are still  occurring virtually in on-line fashion. Criminologists Without Borders will be present at:

See our 3-minute video presentation on Addressing Environmental Violations
for the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice - Expert Discussions on Crimes that Affect the Environment - 1st intersessional meeting - February 2022
https://youtu.be/w9Yuq0bbc1s

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
New York
March 14-25, 2022
https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw66-2022
Civil society participation will be on-line through side events open to registrants from around the world. We are co-sponsoring several panel sessions at the CSW. Look under "presentations."
https://ngocsw.org/

UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Vienna, Austria
May 16-20, 2022
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CCPCJ/index.html

See our video presentations at the United Nations:

"Paths to Migration."
Statement of Criminologists Without Borders on irregular migration at reconvened thirtieth session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
https://youtu.be/L36ZPHmAMAc  (3 minutes)
December 8, 2021

“Linking Crime Prevention to Enablers, Markets, Drivers.” A statement by Criminologists Without Borders at Thematic Discussions of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on the implementation of the Kyoto Declaration. Vienna. (3 minutes) https://youtu.be/WTWCMNdV2M4
November 10, 2021. 

"Linkages between Organized Crime and Corruption and the Multilateral Response." Part of panel presentation launching a report on this subject for the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. UN Crime Commission. Vienna. Recording at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l1EdjBrHT0 (at 22-min.
mark). May 2021.

Winter 2021 News
Criminologists Without Borders

See our complete Winter 2021 Newsletter linked here.

Criminologists Without Borders made an intervention from the floor at the meeting of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in December, 2020. It focused on the need to prioritize evaluation of the binding provisions contained in its Conventions on Transnational Organized Crime and Corruption.  The video shown is linked here: it is titled The Urge to Action Versus the Patience to Evaluate

Pending COVID situation globally, meetings and conferences are still  occurring virtually in on-line fashion. Criminologists Without Borders expects to be present at:

United Nations Crime Congress
Kyoto, Japan
March 7-12, 2021
http://www.un-congress.org/
Civil society participation will be on-line through ancillary meetings open to registrants from around the world.

United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
New York
March 15-26, 2021
https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw
Civil society participation will be on-line through side events open to registrants from around the world.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw65-2021#:~:text=The%20sixty%2Dfifth%20session%20of,15%20to%2026%20March%202021.

UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Vienna, Austria
May 17-21, 2021
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/CCPCJ/index.html

24-Hour Conference on Global Organized Crime
1-2 December 2021
2,100 participants, 320 speakers from 40 countries.
Programme is searchable and replays available:
https://oc24.heysummit.com/topics/
https://oc24.heysummit.com/speakers/
https://oc24.heysummit.com/replays/
* * * * * * * * * *

Fall 2020 News
Criminologists Without Borders

Given the continuing COVID situation globally, meetings and conferences have been cancelled or are occurring virtually in on-line fashion. Below are a few international meetings of note that will take place this fall.

The 24-Hour Conference on Organized Crime
Held during 24 consecutive hours, beginning 10 November 2020. 
200+ speakers, 4 concurrent sessions in each of 15 time slots.
Open to all with no fees.
Co-sponsors: CIROC, IASOC, ECPR-SGOC, GI-TOC.
https://globalinitiative.net/the-24h-conference/
https://oc24.globalinitiative.net/agenda/

Domestic/Family Violence in the COVID-19 Era (18-20 Nov. 2020)
An international virtual summit with six co-sponsors.
For information, contact yaeld@aol.com

The UN Commission on Crime and Criminal Justice is holding its regular and reconvened sessions (postponed from May) on December 3 and 4, 2020. The link to this meeting is https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/commissions/Secretariat/webcast.html

 * * * * * * * * * *

Spring 2020 News
Criminologists Without Borders

Both the United Nations Crime Congress and the UN Crime Commission meetings, scheduled for Spring 2020 have been postponed due to the global COVID-19 crisis. These meetings have not yet been scheduled.

The international presentations of Criminologists Without Borders havecorrrespondlingly been posponed until global travel travel and scheduling can resume. Please stay tuned.

* * * * * * *
Winter 2020 News
Criminologists Without Borders

The United Nations Crime Congress occurs April 20-28, 2020 in Kyoto, Japan. This event occurs once ever 5 years, and it is the largest gathering of those interested and working in crime preventon and criminal justice around the world. Updates on our participation in this event is coming in our Spring 2020 newsletter.

The UN Crime Commission will be held in Vienna, Austria May 18-22, 2020 with the theme of migrant smuggling prevention, intervention, and policy solutions. Criminologists Without Borders will be active at this event. More news coming the next newsletter.

Cindy J. Smith, past chair of the American Society of Criminology's Division of International Criminology, and Director of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), passed away January 18, 2020, after  courageously battling cancer. She was a supporter of Criminologists Without Borders and will be missed by many! Please see her obituary at https://www.asc41.com/obituaries/obituaries_home.html

Spring 2019 Newsletter
Criminologists Without Borders

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women met for its 63rd session in 2019 (CSW63). Every year, representatives of Member States, United Nations entities and non-governmental organizations meet to disseminate evidence on policies and practices affecting women globally. The Division on Women and Crime (DWC) of the American Society of Criminology (ASC), the World Society of Victimology, the International Sociological Association,and Criminologists Without Borders partnered with United Nations Police to host a side event as part of the CSW63 titled:

“The Status of Women: The Policing of Conflict & Post-Conflict Areas” was held on March 11, 2019 from 10:00-11:15am at United Nations Headquarters. This is the first year that DWC and ASC participated at the CSW. 

 The moderator of the panel was Dr. Jay Albanese, UN Liaison for the American Society of Criminology. 

Topics for this panel included:
●      The Role of UN Police & Role of Women in Peace Missions of the UN presented by Ms. Garima Bhatnagar, Chief, Mission Management Support Section, Police Division, United Nations Department of Peace Operations
●      Policing Radicalisation & Violent Extremism: The Importance of Having a Truly Reflective Police Service presented by Dr. Jackie Sebire, Assistant Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, Kempston (UK)
●      How to Build Inclusive Institutions Protective of Human Rights: Lessons from a Complex Story of Democratization of the Croatian Police presented by Dr. Sanja Kutnjak Ivkovich, Professor, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University (USA)
●       Women and What Works in Post-Conflict Policing: The Importance of Building Social Representation, Trust, and Legitimacy presented by Dr. Staci Strobl, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Platteville (USA) 

●      Gender Equity, Culture and Knowledge: The Influence of Professionalism on Law Enforcement Officials’ Attitudes in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Dr. Lisa R. Muftic, Professor, Criminal Justice & Sociology, Western New England University (US) 

This was one a several panels held during the CSW on issues of women, crime and justice. Documents and reading lists associated with these sessions are available here.

 “The American Society of Criminology’s Division of Women & Crime has done a tremendous service by connecting researchers and practitioners in multiple sessions relating to the role of women in criminal justice globally.  The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is the largest global forum to assess progress and exchange information on fundamental issues of justice, social equity, and the rule of law.” Dr. Jay Albanese is Professor at Wilder School of Government & Public Affairs, Virginia Commonwealth University, UN Representative of American Society of Criminology and President of Criminologists without Borders.

 “Social protection, the priority theme of this year's CSW, includes the safety of women.  The rights to health, education and work cannot be enjoyed if women are not safe.  Our panels celebrate the role of women in providing safety, as well as denounce the lack of safety of women in the family, in education and upon release from prison.” Rosemary Barberet is Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and UN Representative of International Sociological Association & Criminologists Without Borders.

-------------------------------------------

CWB is always seeking your financial support and membership. 
Membership in Criminologists Without Borders is $25.00 and is available here.
Thank you for your support,
as we try to change the world one idea at a time!
Please click the link below:
Membership in Criminologists Without Borders is $25.00 and is available here.
 ------------------------------------------

See newsletters below from Fall 2017 to Fall 2018

--------------------------------------------

Fall 2018 Newsletter
Criminologists without Borders 

Criminologists without Borders Meeting at American Society of Criminology in Atlanta.

A meeting of Criminologists without Borders will take place in Atlanta during the ASC conference on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 3:30pm in A601-Atrium Level inside the Marriott Marquis Atlanta Hotel (the ASC conference Hotel). Hope to see you there!

Please note the meeting and luncheon of the ASC Division of International Criminology immediately precedes our meeting. Activity at the UN Crime Commission27th UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice meeting    Vienna, AustriaThe United Nations is a body of national governments, although the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) works to ensure active civil society representation (via NGOs, IGOs). The UN consultative status is designed to permit civil society attendance and input at many UN meetings. Held in Vienna (the home of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime-UNODC), the Member States choose a specific theme each year to pursue. At the UN Crime Commission meeting in May 2018, there was a record attendance of more than 1,000 Member State and NGO representatives, plus 80 side events.

Cybercrime

The theme of the 2018 meeting was cybercrime: “Criminal justice responses to prevent and counter cybercrime in all its forms, including through the strengthening of cooperation at the national and international levels.” The report by Criminologists without Borders summarized recent research published in scholarly books and scientific journals. The report is prefaced by a summary of what is known and unknown in this area, as well as recommendations.  Research excerpts are then featured from major world regions.

The report was prepared by the principal author Hedi Nasheri.  http://www.criminologistswithoutborders.org/

Theme for 2019: intolerance and discrimination

The theme for the UN Crime Commission meeting in 2019 is: "The responsibility of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems in preventing and countering crime motivated by intolerance or discrimination of any kind." Criminologists without Borders is looking for volunteers to coordinate and contribute to our research literature synthesis on this topic.UN Crime Congress in 2020There is a separate UN Crime Congress, which occurs once every five years. It occurs next in 2020 in Kyoto, Japan. The Crime Congress is a much larger meeting of approximately 5,000.  Criminologists without Borders hopes to organize a panel presentation for its members attending the UN Crime Congress.

Workshop Sponsored at 67th NGO/DPI Conference in New York

The 67th NGO / DPI Conference was held in New York City in August, 2018.  This conference is held annually for nongovernmental organizations that collaborate with the UN Department of Public Information, and it attracts a diverse group of NGOs from around the world.  Criminologists Without Borders co-sponsored a workshop entitled, “The Central Inclusion of Women and Girls: National Action Plans, Localization Efforts and Effective Mobilization.” 

The other co-sponsors were the International Sociological Association, the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Sociology and the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders and Inclusive Security. 

The session was moderated by Dr. Rosemary Barberet,  UN Representative for Criminologists Without Borders and speakers included Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, a former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN and Dr. Jan Marie Fritz, Professor at the University of Cincinnati and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg. 

Attendance was plentiful – in a room for 53 people, over 65 attended (standing room only).Both speakers discussed the history and current situation of efforts to encourage the central inclusion of women and girls.  The emphasis was on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the resulting National Action Plans as well as CEDAW. 

There was discussion of localization efforts (connected with the National Action Plans) as well as the movement for Cities for CEDAW. The different levels of intervention were discussed (individual through global) and the some of the following points were emphasized in order to have effective intervention: (1) demonstrate political will; (2) provide adequate financing; (3) develop a community coalition – identify needed partners; (4) emphasize a human rights basis for the effort; (5) consider developing “right-sized,” appropriate basic drafts of documents; (6) put an advisory committee/task force/commission in place; (7) conduct a gender analysis; (8) change or initiate new laws to reflect CEDAW and UNSCR 1325; (9) understand the context of/reasons for suggested changes; (10) review requests for information to make sure that any requested information is absolutely necessary; (11) develop an up-to-date website; (12) encourage women’s groups-government collaborations; (13) set priorities and timelines (revisit these); (14) decide on short-term and long-term goals (revisit these); (15) discuss girls as well as women; (16) look for opportunities to use different levels of intervention; and (16) plan for community monitoring.

UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by Lori Sudderth, Quinnipiac University and
 Rosemary Barberet, John Jay College of Criminal JusticeThe 17th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) was held April 16th – 27th at UN Headquarters in New York. The Forum was originally developed to provide the ECOSOC with expertise, recommendations, and education about indigenous issues, specifically as they relate to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health, and human rights (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Inclusive Social Development Indigenous Peoples, 2018).  The special theme of the 17th session was “Indigenous peoples’ collective rights to lands, territories and resources,” and this year is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Some of the presentations included discussions of the higher rate of violence against indigenous women as compared to non-indigenous women, the continuing impact of colonization on identity, and taking care of the earth as a sacred obligation in many tribal traditions, especially in the context of climate change and continued appropriation of indigenous land.  Some presenters pointed out that governments often define sustainable energy in a way that benefits the oil, gas, and nuclear industry, but not the rights and long-term survival of indigenous people. Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in Santa Cruz, California, recounted the genocidal history of European colonizers and his people. He came to the Forum to ask the UN to intervene in mine development on a site sacred to the Amah Mutsun tribe, to hold the mining industry accountable for the destruction of indigenous land. In other examples, indigenous people have been criminalized for resisting the destruction of indigenous land. In Chile, for example, indigenous people who opposed government land grabbing between 2001 and 2016 were prosecuted as terrorists. Similarly, in Colombia, according to Robinson Lopez of the Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos de los Pueblos Indígenas en Colombia and OPIAC, 67 indigenous communities (3.4% of the population) received over 200,000 threats from representatives of the mining industry who wanted them to vacate the land.In contrast, Right Energy Partnership aligns the goal of renewable energy access for indigenous people with respect for human rights by including indigenous populations in planning energy-generating projects.

Christen Dobson, from the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, confronts businesses accused of human rights violations and talks to investors about the human rights records of businesses. Other presenters discussed the need for documentation of violence against indigenous people, for the inclusion of indigenous women in leadership positions, and for the use of traditional knowledge in solutions to social problems.One panel highlighted a thematic discussion of conservation and the rights of indigenous peoples.  Although one would assume that conservationists and indigenous peoples are naturally aligned politically, given their interest in conserving the environment, this is not always the case and this panel proved to be surprisingly contentious.  Some conservation projects impinge on traditional lands and waters of indigenous peoples, and some conservation projects deprive indigenous peoples of their food and water supplies. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, who sent a representative to the panel, is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organizations. Created in 1948, IUCN is an environmental network of 1,300 Member organizations.  It has a number of initiatives on human rights and conservation that were mentioned on this panel, but there is a larger need for a universally agreed set of standards about the intersection of conservation and indigenous peoples’ rights.BibliographyUnited Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Inclusive Social Development Indigenous Peoples. 2018. “Permanent Forum.” Retrieved May 29, 2018 at https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/unpfii-sessions-2.html.

--------------------------------------------

Fall 2017 Newsletter

Criminologists without Borders 

The thematic discussion at the annual UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), held in Vienna, Austria in May 2017, was on the subject of "Comprehensive and integrated crime prevention strategies: public participation, social policies and education in support of the rule of law." At this five-day meeting, Member States of the United Nations put forth resolutions and debated resolutions on the theme of crime prevention, among other criminal justice issues. There was a record attendance of more than 1,000 participants from Member States and NGO representatives.

The NGO "Criminologists without Borders" put together an international research literature review for the meeting on the announced topic of crime prevention (edited by Sherouk “Sherry” Ahmed).  The document was completed in conjunction with United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and was circulated during the UN Crime Commission meeting.  The review noted “knowns,” “unknowns,” and “recommendations” to pursue in the area of crime prevention. This document is available at www.criminologistswithoutborders.org 

Sherouk “Sherry” Ahmed, editor of the 2017 literature review at www.criminologistswithoutborders.org

A great deal of discussion in Vienna revolved around the two international crime conventions, which place legally binding requirements of ratifying nations (which now includes most of the world). The United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), with separate protocols on trafficking in persons, the smuggling of migrants, and trafficking in firearms (2003), and the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) (2005). Each of the UN crime conventions has a Conference of the States Parties, which oversees implementation and discusses issues related to technical assistance and compliance. 

Photo: Jay Albanese, Sesha Kethineni and Phil Reichel at the UN Crime Commission meeting in Vienna

Roundtable at ASC in Philadelphia in November

A roundtable session will be held at the meeting of the American Society of Criminology in November 16, 2017 to discuss a new initiative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime titled "Education 4 Justice," which a global curriculum effort emanating from the Doha Declaration after the last UN Crime Congress.  The roundtable is titled, "Teaching Transnational Crime: Building Partnerships across Disciplines and Organizations." It is open to all attendees.

Criminologists without Borders will also meet in Philadelphia

Criminologists without Borders will meet after the ASC Division of International Criminology annual Awards Luncheon at Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant (directly across the street from the conference hotel entrance) in Philadelphia. The luncheon will be held at 12:30pm, followed by the meeting of Criminologists without Borders at 2:00pm.  For ASC conference information, please see the link: https://www.asc41.com/annualmeeting.html  We hope to see you in Philadelphia!

Strengthening the Role of Women in Law Enforcement

On March 23rd, 2017, Criminologists Without Borders, in collaboration with UNICRI and the International Sociological Association, organized a side event at the 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.  The event was entitled “Strengthening the Role of Women in Law Enforcement.”  UNICRI Director Dr. Cindy Smith chaired and moderated the session, held at the United Nations main building.  The panelists included Rosemary Barberet and two graduate students of the Master of Arts Degree Program in International Crime and Justice at John Jay, Kartika Rahman and Suchaya Mokkhasen.

The purpose of this side event was to feature research, policy and practitioner perspectives on the role of women in law enforcement worldwide, as part of the theme of this year´s session of the Commission on the Status of Women, “Women´s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work.”  Dr. Barberet started by giving an overview of the global research on the recruitment, retention and promotion and women in law enforcement.  Then Kartika Rahman spoke.  She has been a member of the Royal Brunei Police Force for nine years.  She is currently an assistant superintendent.  Suchaya Mokkhasen, a Fulbright grantee, is a special case officer in the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime of the Department of Special investigation of the Ministry of Justice of Thailand.  Both shared their experiences with a packed room of attendees, including former Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo  from Nigeria.  They offered encouragement and advice to other women considering a career in law enforcement. There were quite a few questions from the audience and a good discussion ensured. 

Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work

was the theme of the Sixty-first UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW61), held in New York City March 13th through 24th, 2017.  Through presentations and panel discussions, participants linked women’s economic empowerment to a wide range of gendered issues, including violence against women, education for girls, vocational training for women, marginalization of indigenous women, child marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as strategies for meeting the needs of immigrant women and women fleeing conflict.

For example, “Economic Empowerment of Women in the Cocoa Industry” was the theme of a session presented by representatives from Ghana.  Presenters included Professor Akua Kuenyahaia, who facilitated the session, Mrs. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Ambassador and Representative to the UN from Ghana, Madam Lucy Addai-Pokai, a cocoa farmer in Ghana, Ms. Otiko Afisah Djaba, Minister for Gender and Social Protection, and two Members of Parliament, Mr. Seth Acheampong, and Ms. Patricia Appiagyei. 

Ghana is the second largest exporter of cocoa in the world, and a quarter of the population in Ghana is associated with the cocoa industry in one way or another. Women are the majority of cocoa workers, but own a very small percentage of the land on which the cocoa grows; so the profit from the harvest rarely trickles down to women in the industry. In Ghana, the income from a cocoa farm enables a family to educate their children beyond primary school. In addition, in order to encourage young people to go into cocoa production, the government offers scholarships for secondary school for the children of cocoa farmers, and 5,000 were awarded in the 2014/2015 academic year (Ghana Cocoa Board, n.d.). According to the panel, the economic empowerment of women in Ghana means creating an environment that does not limit the economic productivity of women, and enables them to buy land to grow cocoa.

Presenters pointed out, however, that the challenges to growing cocoa in Ghana are formidable: the work is tedious, unmechanized, and physically draining. Young men who are hired to work the land must be paid at the end of every day, which means farmers must have ready access to cash. The wages, in fact, are not always as attractive as illegal activities that lure workers away from the farms. In addition, there is a threat from diseases affecting cocoa trees and from bushfires during the drought season, which can wipe out a crop without the possibility of reimbursement through insurance.

For women who want to be cocoa farmers, there are additional challenges. Women are often unable to work for pay because of the division of labor and the expectation that women will take care of home and children. For women who overcome these social barriers, cocoa farming offers a way to make a good living; but women farmers are at a disadvantage compared to men. In Ghana, based on tradition, most of the land belongs to tribal chiefs and their families. Women who want to be cocoa farmers have to buy land, but they do not have equal access to loans or credit.  In addition, women need training in farming techniques and best practices.

In response to these challenges, women’s associations have emerged to offer women farmers loans and credit. In December of 2016, a new government was elected in Ghana, and President Akufo-Addo has prioritized gender equality.  The new Minister for Gender and Social Protection, Ms. Otiko Afisah Djaba, is committed to providing women farmers with the training and instruments they need to succeed and making sure that their children get an education. As such, the government has supported the development of different uses for cocoa to expand the market; they have provided women farmers training in entrepreneurship, and increased access to farming tools and instruments.

In fact, these measures corresponded with the recommendations of Madam Addai-Poku, who represented women cocoa farmers on the panel. She called for the government to improve women’s access to loans and other appropriate funding, to offer more agronomic education to women, to increase prices for cocoa, and to improve access to agronomic chemicals to fight diseases that kill cocoa.  According to the Honorable Patricia Appiagyei, gender inequality limits economic productivity in a country; empowerment involves the creation of an environment that enables women to make their own decisions, therefore it is critical that women be allowed and encouraged to participate equally in all aspects of life.  - Lori K. Sudderth, Ph.D.
------------------------------------
Finally, CWB is always seeking financial support. 
Membership in Criminologists Without Borders is $25.00 and is available here.

Thank you for your support,
as we try to change the world one idea at a time!

 Copyright © 2017 Criminologists Without Borders, All rights reserved.