Over the course of seven decades, the United Nations Congresses on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice have served as an international platform for exchanging expertise and developing policies and strategies aimed at strengthening criminal justice and the rule of law.
 

The journey began in 1955 with the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 22 August to 3 September. The Congresses subsequently continued to be held every five years in capitals and cities around the world.
 

The Congresses were successively held in London (1960), Stockholm (1965), Kyoto (1970), Geneva (1975), Caracas (1980), Milan (1985), Havana (1990), Cairo (1995), and Vienna (2000).
 

The Eleventh Congress, hosted by Bangkok in 2005, marked an important milestone with the adoption of the current title, United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, reflecting the expanding scope of international attention to issues of criminal justice and crime prevention.
 

The series continued in Salvador, Brazil (2010), Doha (2015), and Kyoto (2021), culminating in the Fifteenth Congress, hosted by the United Arab Emirates at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 26 September to 1 October 2026, under the theme “Accelerating Action and Upholding the Rule of Law in the Digital Age.” It represents a new milestone in international cooperation to address the evolving challenges of crime and justice in a changing world.