EU Statement at General Debate of the 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ), 1 June 2026
Chair,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Republic of Moldova, San Marino, and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.
I would like to begin thanking you, Chair, the Bureau and the UNODC Secretariat for your critical work in preparing this session. You have our full support.
Allow me also to warmly welcome the new Executive Director of UNODC Monika Juma to Vienna. The European Union and its Member States are strong supporters and reliable partners of UNODC and will remain so.
First, I would like to reiterate that the work of the UNODC remains of crucial importance in the present-day world. Cross-border threats stemming from transnational organised crime impact the health, stability and security of our societies, and international peace and security more broadly. They are becoming even more multi-faceted and more pressing.
To face those challenges, it is crucial that the UN Charter and international law, including international human rights law, are respected without exceptions. The European Union remains strongly attached to a rules-based international order and to effective multilateralism with the United Nations at its core.
We condemn all violations of international humanitarian law, including conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, forced displacement and attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and we will continue to insist on justice for victims.
We also continue to stress the importance of accountability. We welcome steps taken towards the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine and the International Claims Commission for Ukraine. Russia’s aggression has increased risks of trafficking in human beings, illicit arms flows and other forms of transnational organised crime.
Chair,
The EU seeks to strengthen the rule of law, crime prevention and effective criminal justice systems in line with the SDGs and in full compliance with obligations under international human rights law, in particular equal access to justice for all and child-friendly justice. We also stress that SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls must guide crime prevention as women and girls face disproportionate risks. Mainstreaming a gender perspective remains critical. Far from being ideological, those principles are crucial for successful crime prevention and criminal justice policies.
In our internal work we continue to develop our toolbox by broadening justice and internal security policies and by expanding our operational, digital, judicial, financial and intelligence tools against crime, with our efforts grounded in the rule of law and focusing on effective prevention.
The EU will also continue its work on lawful access to encrypted data in line with international human rights law for criminal justice purposes. We call on all States to ensure that the response to terrorism and organized crime, including investigation and prosecution, is in full compliance with international human rights law, putting the rights of victims at the centre.
Chair,
The EU and its Member States are committed to tackle some of the most pressing criminal justice issues:
Digital threats require global solutions. The EU and its Member States are committed to tackling cybercrime through enhanced international cooperation including through the newly adopted UN Convention against Cybercrime.
Alongside with 13 of its Member States, the EU was among the first to sign the Convention in October 2025 in Hanoi and is now moving toward its ratification to support its rapid entry into force. We trust that the new instrument will help fight child sexual abuse and exploitation by criminalising conducts related to child sexual abuse material and the grooming of children for sexual abuse purposes: a key common priority at this year’s session.
The fight against trafficking in persons is at the core of our policies and values. For us, a comprehensive and human rights-based, gender-responsive and child-sensitive approach, in line with obligations under international law, including theUNTOC Protocol to Prevent, Supress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, is essential. In this regard, we recall the adoption in 2024 of the revised EU Anti-trafficking Directive, which further strengthens the EU legal framework.
Crimes that affect the environment remain among the most profitable criminal enterprises. They encompass a wide range of unlawful conduct such as illegal logging, illegal mining, wildlife poaching and trafficking and waste crimes. To counter the devastating effects that such crimes have on the environment and human health, the European Union and its Member States have agreed on high common standards through the 2024 Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law. The EU has also recently signed the newly adopted Convention of the Council of Europe on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law. At the UN level, we welcome the work conducted by the UNTOC Expert Group on how to best address this critical matter in the run-up to the 13th Conference of Parties to the Palermo Convention.
Chair,
We stress that migrant smuggling remains a grave concern. 25 years after the adoption of the UNTOC Protocol tragic losses of lives at sea persist. The EU reaffirms its commitment to saving lives, dismantling networks, and addressing root causes under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Finally, we thank the UAE for hosting the 15th Crime Congress and hope the conditions will be met for it to take place as planned. We are expecting concrete outcomes on crime prevention and criminal justice, on the responsible use of new technologies and on enhanced cooperation on crimes that affect the environment, aligned with the SDGs and international human rights law. We look forward to a consensual and ambitious declaration and a successful Crime Congress in September.
Thank you.