A/RES/65/230 Recalling the work of the eleven previous United Nations congresses on crime prevention and criminal justice, the conclusions and recommendations of the regional preparatory meetings for the Twelfth Congress 8 and the documents prepared by the relevant working groups established by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 9 Reaffirming the necessity of respecting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in the prevention of crime and the administration of, and access to, justice, including criminal justice, Recognizing the centrality of crime prevention and the criminal justice system to the rule of law and that long-term sustainable economic and social development and the establishment of a functioning, efficient, effective and humane criminal justice system have a positive influence on each other, Noting with concern the rise of new and emerging forms of transnational crime, Greatly concerned by the negative impact of organized crime on human rights, the rule of law, security and development, as well as by the sophistication, diversity and transnational aspects of organized crime and its links with other criminal and, in some cases, terrorist activities, Stressing the need to strengthen international, regional and subregional cooperation to effectively prevent, prosecute and punish crime, in particular by enhancing the national capacity of States through the provision of technical assistance, Greatly concerned by criminal acts against migrants, migrant workers and their families and other groups in vulnerable situations, particularly those acts motivated by discrimination and other forms of intolerance, Declare as follows: 1. We recognize that an effective, fair and humane criminal justice system is based on the commitment to uphold the protection of human rights in the administration of justice and the prevention and control of crime. 2. We also recognize that it is the responsibility of each Member State to update, where appropriate, and maintain an effective, fair, accountable and humane crime prevention and criminal justice system. 3. We acknowledge the value and impact of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice and endeavour to use those standards and norms as guiding principles in designing and implementing our national crime prevention and criminal justice policies, laws, procedures and programmes. _______________ 8 See A/CONF.213/RPM.1/1, A/CONF.213/RPM.2/1, A/CONF.213/RPM.3/1 and A/CONF.213/RPM.4/1. Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Lessons Learned from United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Bangkok, 15–18 August 2006) (E/CN.15/2007/6); intergovernmental expert group to review and update the Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Bangkok, 23–25 March 2009) (E/CN.15/2010/2); expert group to develop supplementary rules specific to the treatment of women in detention and in custodial and non-custodial settings (Bangkok, 23–26 November 2009) (A/CONF.213/17); expert group on protection against trafficking in cultural property (Vienna, 24–26 November 2009) (see E/CN.15/2010/5); expert group on improving the collection, reporting and analysis of crime data (Buenos Aires, 8–10 February 2010) (see E/CN.15/2010/14). 9 5

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