Criminal networks no longer stop at borders, and Uganda has called on the world to make sure justice does not either. Addressing the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice today, Uganda’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, said organised crime, terrorism, cybercrime, trafficking in persons and money laundering had made one thing plain: “no country can confront these challenges alone.”
Speaking as head of Uganda’s delegation, Hon. Mao welcomed the Abu Dhabi Declaration and the Congress theme on accelerating crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law in the digital age. He aligned Uganda with the statements of the Africa Group, the Group of 77, and China, and said Uganda firmly believes that crime prevention and criminal justice are indispensable to sustainable development and the protection of human dignity.
Cooperation that closes the gaps
The Minister said Uganda places particular weight on extradition, mutual legal assistance and information sharing, so that its borders “do not become sanctuaries for transnational crime”. He welcomed technical assistance and capacity building from partners, with one sensible condition: it must be aligned with national priorities.
Uganda ratified the UN Protocols against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants in 2024, and in October 2025 it was among the first States to sign the new UN Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi. In Uganda, work is under way on a National Strategy Against Transnational Organised Crime, which will map the country’s main criminal markets and the groups behind them, and tackle the root causes and enablers of organised crime with gender and human rights considerations built in from the start.
Justice that goes beyond punishment
Hon. Mao emphasised that tougher penalties alone will not make communities safer. “Our response, therefore, must go beyond punitive measures to address the social and economic conditions that foster vulnerability to crime,” he said, calling for gender perspectives to be mainstreamed in crime prevention and for an end to impunity for gender-based violence.
Through a whole-of-government strategy coordinated under the Governance and Security Programme, Uganda has recorded a decline in crime rates for three consecutive years, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has achieved a 75 per cent conviction rate. He credited reforms across the justice system, from digitised case management in the Judiciary and the Uganda Police Force’s Sub-County Policing Model, to the Prosecution-Guided Investigations Guidelines, the Financial Intelligence Authority’s protection of the financial system, and rehabilitation programmes in the Uganda Prisons Service.
Technology with a conscience
On technology and justice, the Minister’s message was clear. “We must harness technology responsibly, without allowing it to become a new avenue for criminality or a threat to fundamental rights,” he said. He closed by calling for criminal justice systems that are innovative, inclusive, evidence-based and firmly anchored in the rule of law, and said Uganda stands ready to work with all Member States and partners to build safer, more just and resilient societies.
Uganda at the Congress
For the full duration of the Congress, the Government of Uganda is hosting a national exhibition titled “Showcasing Uganda’s Criminal Justice Reform Journey through the JLOS Chain-Link Model”, with demonstrations of digital justice platforms, documentary material and a compendium of Uganda’s justice reforms.
On Monday, 28 September, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm (GST), Uganda will host a side event titled “Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention Reforms in Uganda: Delivering Results Through Government and Civil Society Partnerships”, co-organised with the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET) and Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDEL), with support from the Embassy of the Netherlands and UNODC.
Join the side event online via bit.ly/ugandasidevent and follow Uganda’s participation using #UgandaAtCrimeCongress
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