UNICRI

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute's Mission:

UNICRI is one of the 5 global Research and Training Institutes of the United Nations which report to the UN Secretary General.
The Institute carries out applied research, training, technical cooperation and documentation/information activities.

In a rapidly changing world, UNICRI’s major goals today are advancing security, serving justice and building peace. UNICRI sees itself as ‘the first response broker’. It has become known for its dynamic, fresh and innovative approach in applied research.
UNICRI operates in selected niches as a ‘laboratory of ideas’ and its activities help the integration of national and international efforts to search for good practices and adapt them to different national situations.

The UNICRI Applied Research Programme is organized in four main work areas: Emerging Crimes and Anti-Human Trafficking; Security Governance and Counter Terrorism Laboratory; Justice, Protection and Ethics; Training and Advanced Education.

Crime is a common concern both for governments and citizens across the globe. As crime becomes increasingly internationalized, new forms of crime emerge and organized crime spreads, national responses and international cooperation in the fields of crime prevention and criminal justice must work alongside one another. UNICRI supports governments and the international community at large in tackling the threats of crime to social peace, development and political stability.

WHAT CAN UNICRI DO?

The programmes of UNICRI aim to promote national self-reliance and the development of institutional capabilities. To this end, UNICRI provides a one-stop facility offering high-level expertise in crime prevention and criminal justice problems. Technical co-operation is enhanced by the use of action-oriented research to assist in the formulation of improved policies and concrete intervention programmes. Institutional and on-the-job training of specialized personnel form an integral part of UNICRI activities.

UNICRI' s objectives are:

to advance understanding of crime-related problems
to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems
to support the respect of international instruments and other standards
to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance.

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)

Headquarters: Viale Maestri del Lavoro, 10
Turin
10127
Italy
Website: counterfeiting.unicri.it

AREAS OF ACTION

With 40 years of experience, UNICRI has been structuring its work programmes and modus operandi to make them always responsive to the needs of the international community.

UNICRI' s activities tackle major concerns in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice, such as corruption, security governance and counter-terrorism, counterfeiting and organized crime (in particular, counterfeiting, trafficking of persons as well as weapons of mass destruction). Other areas of intervention are, inter alia, security during major events, violence, both domestic and in the workplace; environmental and cyber-crimes; protection of victims and cultural heritage. UNICRI also conducts major programs in international criminal law and criminal justice reform, with a special focus on juvenile justice.
SERVICES AVAILABLE

Applied research and technical cooperation aimed at providing concrete assistance to requesting countries. UNICRI targets, in particular, regions and countries that for various reasons, including the comparative lack of intervention from other potential assisting entities, are more in need of support in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. Co-operation projects often take a holistic approach, which tackles legislative, enforcement and social aspects, and may include services provided by UNICRI, such as training and documentation.

Promotion and coordination of international and regional research, with special attention to:

the analysis and assessment of conditions for and consequences of the adoption of national and international criminal justice strategies,
the study of major patterns and trends of crime

Promotion of policy-relevant research at country level, through:

the analysis and assessment of policy formulation and implementation, including the implementation of the United Nations Conventions and the respect of human rights standards,
the establishment of networks between policy-makers, administrators and researchers,
the study of national or local crime-related problems in the context of development policies

Training and educational activities aimed at developing and upgrading professional skills, and favouring exchange of information and cooperation among policy makers, administrators and professionals, in particular by:

carrying out training courses,
developing training curricula, methods and materials, and instructing trainers to use and disseminate them