1. Purposes 

The UN･International Cooperation and Research for Crime Prevention (ⅩⅧ) aims to establish and strengthen the international cooperation network of the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice (KICJ) and to disseminate internationally the research results produced by KICJ. In relation to the establishment and reinforcement of the international cooperation networks, this project aims to expand exchanges with overseas organizations related to criminal justice and legal policy, while maintaining the partnership with UN CCPCJ, UNODC, and UNPNI. The strengthening of international networks is closely linked to the dissemination of research results produced by KICJ. The spread of the KICJ research results was promoted through collaborative activities with UNPNI and overseas organizations, as well as international conferences hosted by KICJ. Moreover, international conferences held abroad were also utilized as a channel for promoting the KICJ research. To this end, this project attempted to improve the accessibility of KICJ research for researchers and practitioners from international organizations by translating major research results into English publications and managing the English website and social media platforms.

2. Establishment and Reinforcement of UN and International Cooperation Networks 

Since joining the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network Institutes (UNPNI) in 2004, KICJ has established cooperative relations with UNODC and UNPNI. KICJ participated as a PNI observer in the 31st UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) in May 2022. In addition, KICJ organized an expert group meeting (EGM)　with the Executive Programme on the Implementation of International Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (iCPCJ), which was co-developed by Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) and UNODC. The KICJ-TIJ/iCPCJ EGM held in July contributed to sharing trends in Korea’s juvenile justice and Thailand's correctional policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, a series of EGMs were convened with the purpose of encouraging policy and academic exchanges and cooperation. In addition to the KICJ-TIJ/iCPCJ EGM, three EGMs were held with scholars and practitioners from the United States and the United Kingdom. The first EGM on Community Supervision of Sex Offenders (Electronic Supervision) in Korea and the U.S. brought together experts from the U.S. Federal Probation Agency, Illinois State University Department of Criminal Justice, and the Korean Ministry of Justice. Furthermore, EGMs were held with the aim of establishing long-term academic exchange networks in the future. In particular, the EGMs with universities from the UK were designed to explore research areas where participants could seek common research interests and collaborative opportunities. The EGMs with the University of Derby and the University of York in the UK provided the springboard for establishing international networks in the area of legal and social policies.

3. International Promotion of KICJ Research 

In 2022, KICJ hosted the 2nd Asia Pacific Expert Conference for Criminal Justice (APECCJ) in August and the 9th KICJ International Forum (KICJIF) in December. Both events addressed the theme of new and emerging technologies and human rights. The APECCJ under the theme of “Promoting Human Rights in Response to Technology-Assisted Crimes: Tackling Violence against Women and Children” brought together scholars and practitioners from Australia and Thailand to discuss policy efforts to prevent digital technology-assisted crimes against women and children.

The KICJIF was held under the theme of “Emerging Technologies and Human Rights: Ethical Considerations in Regulating Artificial Intelligence.” In particular, experts from Europe, Southeast Asia, and Korea discussed international regulations on war technologies using artificial intelligence such as lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), and legal regulations to secure transparency and accountability in governmental automated decision-making at the government level. 

In order to promote the dissemination of KICJ research results, English publications were produced and the English website and social media platforms were operated. The International Journal of Criminal Justice was published twice this year, and six KICJ research reports were summarized and published in English.