The Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI) was established at Fuchu in 1962, pursuant to an agreement between the United Nations and the Government of Japan, to promote regional cooperation in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice through training and research, and to contribute to sound social development in the Asian and Pacific region. The programme and the topics of its training courses and seminars are closely related to the contemporary problems of criminal justice administration in the region, especially to the problems generated by rapid socio-economic change.
Reflecting its emphasis on operational training, a priority identified by the Commission, the research activities of the Institute were designed to meet practical needs, including those for training material for criminal justice personnel. The Institute continued to hold workshops on various topics with a view toward policy development and guidance for the benefit of the criminal justice systems of States of the region.
Training continued to be the principle area and priority of the work programme of the Institute. The training provided by the Institute in the implementation of United Nations standards, norms and guidelines and international instruments in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice has helped States to translate United Nations principles into policy, law and practice. Drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime, corruption, prison overcrowding and juvenile delinquency constitute major problem areas within the region, to which priority attention continued to be devoted.
The theme of the ninetieth international seminar, held at the Institute from 27 January to 29 February 1992, was the quest for solutions of the pressing problems of contemporary criminal justice administrations. The seminar, attended by 29 participants from 23 countries, was designed to address problems which hamper the efficient administration of criminal justice systems, including delays in judicial proceedings and prison overcrowding. It also examined related issues, including ways by which to increase public confidence in law enforcement, encourage cooperation between the general public and law enforcement personnel, and examine procedures of public prosecution, the use of non-custodial measures, and appropriate. means to ensure fair and expeditious criminal trials.
The Institute conducted the ninety-first international training course from 13 April to 3 July 1992, the theme of which was the further use and effectual development of non-custodial measures for offenders. The course aimed at providing participants with an opportunity to study and discuss various contemporary problems concerning non-custodial measures, ranging from pretrial to post-sentencing dispositions, and including the nature, extent and manner of selection of non-custodial options, their application and administration. The course was attended by 26 participants from 17 countries.
The theme of the ninety-second international training course, held from 7 September to 27 November 1992, was the quest for effective methods of organized crime control. Topics discussed included: the current situation, characteristics of organized crime and legislation to control it in the 16 participating countries; the development of more effective methods in controlling organized crime in criminal justice administration; the improvement of conditions and integrated strategy for eradication of organized crime; and international cooperation in controlling organized crime. The report of the training course will be published in the Resource Material Series of the Institute. The course was attended by 29 participants from 16 countries.
A joint seminar on the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, convened by the Institute in collaboration with the Government of Indonesia from 20 to 24 January 1992, was attended by 100 participants.
The Institute continued to collect data and other resource material on crime trends, crime prevention strategies and the treatment of offenders from Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, making use of it in training courses and seminars. The Information and Library Service of the Institute provided, upon request, material and information to United Nations agencies, governmental organizations, research institutes and researchers.
Reports on training courses and seminars continued to be published regularly by the Institute. Since 1971, the Institute has issued its Resource Material Series, which contains contributions by visiting experts and participants in training courses and by Institute staff members. The fortieth and forty-first editions of the Resource Material Series were published during the reporting period, as well as issues 78 and 79 of the Newsletter of the Institute, which appears three times a year. The Institute published its first workshop report on computerization of criminal justice information systems, which offers a regional perspective to other recent United Nations publications in this area.
In March 1992 the Institute celebrated both its thirtieth anniversary and the tenth anniversary of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. The latter was combined with a meeting of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee of the Institute and a symposium on conditions for prosperity without crime, sponsored by the Foundation. Approximately 400 persons attended the anniversary celebrations, including 26 experts from abroad.
The full financial and administrative responsibilities for running the Institute have been assumed by the Government of Japan since its foundation. The nine members of the faculty, including the Director and Deputy Director, as well as the 21 members of the administrative, clerical and technical staff, are appointed from among officials of the Government of Japan. Visiting experts from abroad are invited by the Ministry of Justice to each training course or seminar. The Institute has also received valuable assistance from various experts in conducting its training programmes.
The budget of the Institute is provided through the Ministry of Justice and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1992, approximately US$ 325,000 were allocated to the Institute for training. The Asia Crime Prevention Foundation has also supported the activities of the Institute through direct financial contributions and through the provision of personnel. All the international training and seminar programmes of the Institute have been carried out under the financial auspices of the Ministry of Justice and JICA. However, there have been difficulties in responding to the growing demand for training opportunities in the region, owing to financial constraints and limited facilities and services.