Countries adopt global blueprint to tackle fast-evolving crime in digital age

There is growing concern over the misuse of information and communications technologies by terrorists, in particular the Internet and new digital technologies.

Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation.

The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice , bringing governments together around challenges ranging from cybercrime and fraud to the growing criminal exploitation of digital technology.

The Declaration highlights an increasingly complex landscape in which services, infrastructure and technology can be exploited by criminals, including emerging trends described as “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”.

At the same time, countries committed to making greater use of technology themselves, including by digitalizing justice systems and harnessing artificial intelligence in criminal justice responses.

The Declaration stresses that safeguards must accompany those changes, including human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection.

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