Event: THE 35TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION ON CRIME PREVENTION AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE (CCPCJ), 3-5 June 2026, Vienna, Austria
Submitted By: ACTION LAB FOR DEVELOPMENT, organization in Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2020
Agenda Item 6(f): Other activities in support of the work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in particular the activities of the institutes of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme network, non-governmental organizations and other bodies.
Submitted by: Tfurndabi Tawong Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer CEP
Title: Education, Youth Empowerment, Human Rights, and Inclusive International Cooperation in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Mr Chair, Distinguished Delegates, Excellencies,
My name is Ariana Cecilia Peñaloza Jaimes, Advocacy Officer for Human Rights at Action Lab For Development, organization in Special Consultative Status with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Since 2020.
Action Lab For Development welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the 35th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice under Agenda Item 6(f).
In its work in Cameroon, Action Lab For Development has delivered structured training programmes in entrepreneurship, innovation, and vocational skills for young people, women, and economically disadvantaged community members. This experience has reinforced the importance of preventive approaches that expand access to learning opportunities, practical skills, and local support networks before individuals face heightened exposure to exploitation, violence, or recruitment by criminal networks.
Action Lab For Development wishes to underscore that crime prevention strategies should not be approached exclusively through punitive or reactive frameworks. Communities affected by poverty, marginalization, weak institutional protection, forced displacement, and unequal access to education and digital tools are often more exposed to violence, trafficking in persons, exploitation, corruption, and recruitment by criminal networks.
In this regard, meaningful youth participation and community-based educational initiatives should be regarded not merely as symbolic components of international discussions, but as substantive contributions to public policy development, prevention initiatives, community resilience, and advocacy efforts.
At the same time, digital transformation is reshaping both opportunity and risk. Emerging technologies can support education, reporting mechanisms, service delivery, and access to information, but they can also intensify fraud, online exploitation, misinformation, privacy concerns, and other cyber-enabled harms.
In this context, Action Lab For Development encourages the Commission and Member States to continue promoting:
- The integration of community-based education, digital literacy, and vocational pathways into national crime prevention strategies, particularly for young people at risk of recruitment, trafficking, violence, and online exploitation;
- Structured mechanisms for the participation of civil society organizations and youth representatives in the design, implementation, and follow-up of crime prevention policies at the local, national, and multilateral levels;
- Stronger referral pathways, victim support services, and access to justice for women, children, migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons affected by trafficking,exploitation, and violence;
- Rights-respecting capacity-building on cyber-enabled crime, including prevention, digital safety, evidence handling, and awareness-raising at the community level.
Action Lab For Development reaffirms its commitment to constructive international dialogue, multilateral cooperation, and community-centered advocacy efforts that contribute to more inclusive, equitable, and human rights-oriented approaches to crime prevention and criminal justice.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Ariana Cecilia Peñaloza Jaimes
Official Representative, Advocacy Officer (Human Rights)
Action Lab For Development