Representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan participated in the UN’s 15th Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
The Prosecutor General’s Office told the “Operative Information Center-OMM”.
Vugar Aliyev, head of the Special Confiscation Matters Coordination Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and Babek Zakirzade, deputy head of its International Legal Cooperation Department, took part in the congress as members of the delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event was held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 26-28.
The participants discussed current issues related to combating new and emerging forms of crime, preventing organized crime, improving criminal justice systems, applying modern technologies and strengthening international cooperation.
On Sept. 27, a high-level special event titled “Winning the fight against crimes that affect the environment: from promises to results” was held as part of the congress. The event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Panelists included Monica Juma, executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime; Lucas Philippe, director of INTERPOL; Gerard Darmanin, Minister of Justice of the French Republic; and Dana Al Marzouqi, director general of the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates. They discussed challenges in combating organized crime and corruption affecting the environment, wildlife crime, forest crime, illegal mining, illegal waste trafficking, pollution and crimes in the fisheries sector. The importance of coordinated action, operational cooperation, and the exchange of best practices and information among law enforcement agencies was emphasized.
Speaking at the event, Vugar Aliyev noted that crimes affecting the environment are transnational in nature. He stressed the importance of expanding practical cooperation between states and international organizations, coordinating the activities of law enforcement agencies and making effective use of modern technologies in combating such crimes.
At the conclusion of the event, the “Abu Dhabi Call for Action 2026 on Crimes Affecting the Environment” initiative was presented. The voluntary initiative aims to promote the prevention of and fight against crimes affecting the environment as a common international priority and to further expand cooperation among states, international and regional organizations, law enforcement agencies and other partners.
UN crime prevention and criminal justice congresses provide a forum for countries and international institutions to exchange experience and develop joint responses to cross-border criminal threats. Environmental crime is increasingly addressed through such cooperation because it can involve multiple jurisdictions, illicit financial flows and organized criminal networks.
