Abu Dhabi Launches Inaugural Young Voices for Justice Forum Ahead of UN Crime Congress
The UAE brings together 62 young people from across the globe to develop innovative solutions for crime prevention and criminal justice, with Emirati youth set to shape international policy dialogue.
Abu Dhabi has welcomed the opening of the inaugural “Young Voices for Justice” Youth Forum, convening 62 emerging leaders from around the world to collaborate on pressing challenges in crime prevention and criminal justice. The two-day gathering represents a significant milestone in preparations for the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, scheduled to take place at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 26th September to 1st October.
The forum brings together 31 young men and women representing Youth Councils across the Emirates, partnered with the Federal Youth Authority, alongside international participants. This composition underscores the UAE’s commitment to positioning young people as substantive contributors to policy development and community advancement, rather than as passive recipients of governmental programmes.
Abdulrahman Murad Al Blooshi, Assistant Under-Secretary for the International Cooperation and Legal Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Justice and General Coordinator of the Congress, emphasised the historic significance of the initiative. For the first time in the UN Crime Congress’s history, youth perspectives will be formally incorporated into the Abu Dhabi Declaration, ensuring that young voices meaningfully influence international discourse on justice and crime prevention.
Khalid Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director of the Federal Youth Authority, highlighted the confidence the nation’s leadership places in young people’s capacity to address global challenges through innovation, knowledge and social responsibility. The forum provides participating Emirati youth with an invaluable opportunity to exchange insights with international counterparts and introduce global best practices to the UAE’s youth ecosystem.
During the opening day, participants employed design-thinking methodologies to identify challenges affecting young people globally and generate transformative solutions. On the second day, groups will refine their proposals before presenting them in a project-pitch session and collaborating on a Joint Youth Statement that synthesises emerging priorities and recommendations from the forum.
The initiative forms part of Generation Justice (GenJust), a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime programme launched in 2024 to amplify youth participation in the Congress’s preparation and follow-up phases. Discussions build upon the “Generation Justice: Global Blueprint for Action”, developed through regional youth consultations in 2025, addressing crime prevention, access to justice, digital safety, gender-responsive justice systems, human rights education and the responsible deployment of emerging technologies.
The forum’s outcomes will be formally presented during the Congress opening, with GenJust contributing throughout the event via a dedicated youth exhibition platform and specialised Youth Lab sessions addressing artificial intelligence and misinformation, climate-crime connections, digital trust, crime prevention and health, and community-centred approaches to combating forced marriage and related offences.
Source: WAM