Freedom From Fear Magazine (F3) is produced by UNICRI in cooperation with the Ghent University. F3 aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and awareness of the international community’s priority issues in the fields of justice, the prevention and control of crime, development, peace and security and, more broadly, the protection of human rights.
Watch the video: "An AI-generated video of Irakli Beridze, Head of UNICRI's Centre for AI and Robotics"
In response to rapid advancements in digital technologies, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) opened a specialized Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics in September 2017. Located in the Hague, the Netherlands, the Centre was established with the support of the Municipality of the Hague and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
This Centre is dedicated to understanding and addressing both the opportunities and challenges of AI and related new and emerging technologies from the perspective of crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law. In terms of opportunities, the Centre explores how to leverage AI’s potential in a responsible manner in order to promote public safety and reduce crime. In terms of challenges, these same technologies may be misused by malicious actors, or misapplied by legitimate actors if used without proper safeguards.
Through research and awareness-raising, multi-stakeholder discussions and capacity-building activities, the Centre supports national authorities and relevant representatives within the criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts and corrections) through several programmes and projects.
These projects employ several approaches and tools, including:
Some priority areas for the Centre include:
Network building and the creation of strategic partnerships has also been identified as being a fundamental part to the modus operandi of the Centre’s activities and are integral to its success. In this regard, the Centre has built an extensive international network of partners that it engages for its activities and to convene expert-level meetings, training courses and workshops worldwide, as well as high-level visibility events.
Crime prevention, criminal justice, and in particular law enforcement and national security, are areas where AI and related emerging technologies have the potential to compliment or even greatly enhance traditional techniques. Given the increasingly data-heavy nature of criminal investigations and the evolving and complex nature of criminality, the criminal justice system is a domain that can derive substantial benefit from the potential of new and emerging technologies.
AI has already been used to help law enforcement to identify and locate long-missing children, scan illicit sex ads and disrupt human trafficking rings, flag financial transactions that indicate the possibility of money laundering and protect citizens’ privacy through automating the anonymization of surveillance footage. Such technologies may find application in the courts, where they can help with efficient research on jurisprudence to identify precedents and support legal professionals with case management to ensure a timely delivery of justice.
Masked behind these benefits, however, are a range of social, ethical and legal issues that have yet to be fully explored and analysed. For instance, there are concerns surrounding data collection and violations of the right to privacy in AI development, algorithmic bias and black boxes in decision-making systems, and unforeseen outcomes such as from the autonomous use of force. Of course, there is also the ever-present risk that criminals or terrorist organizations may misuse these technologies. Indeed, with every new technology comes vulnerability to new forms of crime and threats to security. However, with proper understanding and responsible development, the Centre continues to aim to build trust and belief in AI and robotics as agents for positive change.
The new issue of 1540 Compass (Issue 5 | January 2026) is now available. The journal supports the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540, which aims to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors.
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), with support from the Governments of Italy and France, delivered two advanced training sessions on “Supply Chain Disruption” and “Proliferation Sanctions Implementation” from 14 to 18 July 2025 in Kyiv.
Hybrid Session – 26 June 2025, 09:00–10:00 CEST
Cybercrime and online harms are rapidly evolving across Africa, bringing with them significant challenges to justice and digital trust. UNICRI, in collaboration with ALT Advisory, invites you to take part in a hybrid roundtable discussion at IGF 2025 that explores these pressing issues.
UNICRI is dedicated to advancing justice, crime prevention, human rights protection and security by offering innovative post-graduate education and specialised training programmes tailored to meet evolving global challenges. Through on-campus, decentralised, and online courses, UNICRI equips professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate complex issues.
Our offerings are designed to empower young professionals, law enforcement officers, judges, justice personnel, and social workers, integrating theoretical learning with practical application to enhance the rule of law and human dignity.
In collaboration with leading universities, research institutions, and global experts, UNICRI delivers cutting-edge curricula and training materials tailored to regional and national contexts. Programmes such as the LL.M. in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity and the LL.M. in Transnational Crime and Justice provide participants with specialised expertise to address pressing issues. These initiatives not only enhance professional capabilities but also foster the next generation of leaders dedicated to peace, security, and sustainable development.
UNICRI’s capacity-building initiatives go beyond traditional education by addressing emerging global threats, including the misuse of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, environmental crime, cultural heritage protection, and the challenges posed by AI, misinformation and hate speech. By prioritising inclusive and integrative learning approaches, UNICRI prepares professionals and youth alike to contribute meaningfully to creating a safer, more just world. Whether through tailored in-country training or comprehensive LL.M. programmes and spesiclaized courses, UNICRI’s commitment to excellence in education and capacity-building ensures a lasting impact on communities worldwide.
The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) was established in 1968 pursuant to Economic and Social Council Resolution 1086 B (XXXIX) of 1965, which urged an expansion of the United Nations activities in crime prevention and criminal justice. The Institute is an autonomous institution and is governed by its Board of Trustees.
Working within the broad scope of its mandate to design and implement improved policies and actions in the field of crime prevention and control, the mission of UNICRI is to advance justice, crime prevention, security and the rule of law in support of peace, human rights and sustainable development.
UNICRI’s work focuses on Goal 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that is centered on promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies, free from crime and violence. Justice, crime prevention and the rule of law are the basis for fighting poverty and reducing inequalities while enhancing economic growth and stability and protecting the environment. UNICRI supports governments and the international community at large in tackling criminal threats to social peace, development and political stability.
UNICRI' s goals are:
The Board of Trustees of UNICRI is composed by eminent experts. The staff cover a wide range of expertise in the management of research, specialized training and technical cooperation, and are supported by highly qualified consultants selected according to project requirements.
UNICRI's programmes aim to promote national self-reliance and the development of institutional capabilities. To this end, UNICRI provides a one-stop facility offering high-level expertise in crime prevention and criminal justice problems. Technical co-operation is enhanced by the use of action-oriented research to assist in the formulation of improved policies and concrete intervention programmes. Institutional and on-the-job training of specialized personnel form an integral part of UNICRI activities.
PREVENTING AND COUNTERING TRANSNATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, TERRORISM, AND POINTS OF NEXUS
COUNTERING CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CORRUPT PRACTICES
PREVENTING AND COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND RADICALIZATION
PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE USE OF NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO ADDRESS CRIME AND EXPLOITATION
PROMOTING RULE OF LAW AND SAFEGUARDING ACCESS TO JUSTICE
THREAT RESPONSE AND RISK MITIGATION: SECURITY GOVERNANCE UNIT
With more than 50 years of experience, UNICRI has structured its work programmes and modus operandi in order to always be responsive to the needs of the international community.
UNICRI works in specialized niches and selected fields of crime prevention, justice, security governance, risks and benefits of advances in technologies, counter-terrorism and social cohesion. UNICRI's programmes focus on different areas with the aim of creating and testing new and holistic approaches in preventing crime and promoting justice and development. UNICRI plays a leading role with respect to specific niches and supports/complements the work of other international organizations through its specialized and advanced services.
The Institute's current priorities include:
Chemical and biological (CB) weapons have the potential to cause great harm and represent an appealing prospect for non-state actors due to their potential to generate widespread fear. From the letters containing fatal anthrax spores sent through US postal system in 2001 to, more recently, the repeated deployment of chemical weapons against civilian populations by Da’esh between 2014 and 2016 in Iraq and Syria, these events are designed to cause major suffering and disruption.
Non-state, terrorist organizations and individuals continue to strive to produce or obtain CB weapons capable of generating mass casualties. These weapons are particularly attractive to such groups or ideologically inspired individuals around the world for multiple reasons, including the low cost and effort-to-impact ratio of a CB weapons attack, the potential to generate widespread fear among populations and the likelihood that such an attack would receive significant media coverage.
Meanwhile, the risk that individuals or terrorist organizations might use such weapons will remain high so long as knowledge about the weapons and their precursors remains easily available on the Internet and trade controls over the precursors remain weak. Equally, many biological pathogens occur naturally in the environment, making it even more important to ensure that countries are aware of the threat and have robust mitigation measures in place.
In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 16 for the promotion of peace, justice and strong institutions, UNICRI is taking active measures to address the threat of chemical and biological terrorism.
For example, UNICRI implements national and regional training programmes that focus on intelligence-led operations and investigations to prevent CB weapons attacks by non-state actors. Equally, due to the transnational dimension of this phenomenon, UNICRI coordinates the creation of systems for the cooperation and timely exchange of information between relevant agencies (such as intelligence, law enforcement and regulatory authorities) and relevant international organizations.
UNICRI also works in collaboration with international organizations such as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the Committee established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (the 1540 Committee) to promote adherence to and implementation of the international legal regime against the acquisition and use of chemical and biological weapons by non-state actors. These include the Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapons Convention.
ATLAS – To address the growing chemical weapon risk in North Africa, UNICRI has launched ATLAS, a pilot project aimed at preventing violent non-state actors from planning and conducting chemical weapon attacks, with a focus on intelligence-led operations and investigations. The main objective of the project, which is implemented in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and with the financial support of the United States Department of State, is to develop and implement training curricula for law enforcement, state security, chemical regulatory authorities, industry and academia, as well as to foster interagency and regional cooperation.
Building a safer South-East Asia by preventing and responding to the use of chemical weapons by terrorists and other non-state actors in Indonesia – Implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UNICRI in coordination with Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme and with support of the OPCW, the project’s objective is to significantly enhance the capability of Indonesian authorities to prevent, detect, and respond to the acquisition, development, and threat or use of chemical weapons by non-state actors, in particular for terrorist purposes.
For general information concerning the implementation of these projects, please consult the linked pages below.
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