Uzbekistan hosts II International Forum to strengthen global criminology cooperation

The II International Forum on Best Practices in Global Criminology officially commenced today in Samarkand, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The event is organized by the Uzbekistan Criminalology Research Institute under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The two-day forum brings together senior law enforcement officials, world-renowned criminologists, leading scholars, and representatives of international organizations.

The forum was inaugurated by Colonel Ramazon Ashropov, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, on behalf of the Minister. The event is held in accordance with the Presidential Decree of Uzbekistan dated January 15, 2024 (PQ–22) "On organizing scientific and practical research in the field of criminology."

Participants include officials from Hungary, Qatar, India, China, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, alongside representatives from prominent international organizations, including:

UNODC – United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Central Asia Regional Office;

TIKA – Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency;

GIZ – German Society for International Cooperation.

Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uzbekistan also joined discussions on enhancing law enforcement collaboration.

During the forum, participants will be introduced to the activities of Samarkand’s "Mahalla Committee", as well as the Ministry’s divisions on tourism safety and cybercrime prevention.

One of the key objectives of the forum is to prepare agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation between police and research institutions in participating countries. Planned areas of collaboration include:

Signing international cooperation protocols;

Conducting joint studies on crime analysis and comprehensive criminological research;

Regional threat assessments and joint protocols on cross-border crime;

Training programs, research initiatives, and information exchange.

Within the framework of cooperation with TIKA, discussions are underway on:

Grant support for the development of the Criminalology Research Institute;

Modernization of institute infrastructure;

Implementation of state-of-the-art criminology laboratories and analytical technologies;

Financing joint training programs and seminars.

Bilateral cooperation is also planned with: Russia’s All-Russian Scientific Research Institute under the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Ural State Law University, Russia; Hungary’s Ludovika University of Public Service, Faculty of Law Enforcement; Turkey’s National Police Academies.

Additionally, collaboration with Qatar includes staff internships and joint projects on comparative criminal research.

The forum aims to launch international joint projects in crime prevention and criminology research with participation from India, Hungary, China, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. These initiatives are expected to further enhance the scientific and practical effectiveness of criminological research in Uzbekistan.

The Samarkand forum represents a new stage in international cooperation in the global fight against crime, serving as a platform for scientific practice, expert exchange, and practical collaboration.