| UN INSTRUMENTS |
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice - Previous sessions and documents
The Commission arose from a ministerial meeting held in Versailles in 1991 and is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council. It was preceded by a more technically focused Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, formed in 1971 to replace an earlier expert advisory committee and tackle a broadened scope of UN interest in criminal justice policy. Priority areas mandated by the Council when it established the Commission in 1992 are: i)international action to combat national and transnational crime, including Organised crime, economic crime and money laundering; ii)promoting the role of criminal law in protecting the environment; iii)crime prevention in urban areas, including juvenile crime and violence; iv) improving the efficiency and fairness of criminal justice administration systems. |
Fifth session (Vienna, 21 - 31 May 1996) |
| Sixth session (Vienna, 28 April - 9 May 1997) |
| Seventh session (Vienna, 21 - 30 April 1998) |
| Eighth session (Vienna, 27 April - 6 May 1999) |
| Ninth session ( Vienna , 18-20 April 2000) |
| Tenth session ( Vienna , 8-17 May 2001) |
| Resumed Session of the 10th Session of the Crime Commission (6-7 September 2001) |
| Eleventh session ( Vienna , 16-25 April 2002) |
| Twelfth session ( Vienna , 13-22 May 2003) |
| Thirteenth session ( Vienna , 11-20 May 2004) |
| Fourteenth session ( Vienna , 23-27 May 2005) |
| Fifteenth session (Vienna, 24 - 28 April 2006) |
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UN Crime Congresses
United Nations congresses are major global events. They are the only large United Nations conferences that bring together in one global forum different categories of participants - government delegations, representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, specialised agencies and other United Nations entities, as well as individual experts - from a whole spectrum of criminal justice fields who have their respective and professional contributions to make. The congresses have been held every five years since 1955 in different parts of the world. They have had an impact on national policies and professional practice by promoting the sharing and dissemination of relevant expertise and experience; formulating international guidelines; facilitating collaboration between States and between practitioners in the various sectors and disciplines bearing on crime and justice; fostering innovative and viable approaches intended to renew and upgrade existing systems; mustering public opinion and advocacy; and paving the way for more humane and effective methods of crime prevention and criminal justice management. |
| First UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Geneva , Switzerland 22 August - 3 September 1955 |
| Second UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - London , England 8 - 19 August 1960 |
| Third UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Stockholm , Sweden 9 - 18 August 1965 |
| Fourth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Kyoto , Japan 17 - 26 August 1970 |
| Fifth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Geneva , Switzerland 1 - 12 September 1975 |
| Sixth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Caracas , Venezuela 25 August - 5 September 1980 |
| Seventh UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Milan , Italy 26 August - 6 September 1985 |
| Eighth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders - Havana , Cuba 27 August - 7 September 1990 |
| Ninth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders , Conference Title: "Crime" - Cairo , Egypt 28 April - 5 May 1995 |
| Tenth UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders , Conference Title: "Crime and Justice: Meeting the Challenges of the Twenty-first Century" - Vienna , Austria 10 - 17 April 2000 |
| Eleventh UN Crime Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders , Conference Title: Synergies And Responses: Strategic Alliances In Crime Prevention And Criminal Justice - Bangkok , 18–25 April 2005 |
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Human Rights Instruments
Human rights in the administration of justice: Protection of persons subjected to detention or imprisonment |
| The Legal Process |
| Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers |
| Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors |
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| Model Treaty on the Transfer of Proceedings in Criminal Matters |
| Model Treaty on the Transfer of Supervision of Offenders Conditionally Sentenced or Conditionally Released |
| Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances |
| Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions |
| Principles of international co-operation in the detection, arrest, extradition and punishment of persons guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity |
| Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War |
| Police and Law Enforcement |
| Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials |
| Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials |
| Prisons |
| Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners |
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| Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment |
| Non-Custodial Sentences |
| United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (The Tokyo Rules) |
| Youth and Juvenile Justice |
| United Nations Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines) |
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| Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System |
| Victims |
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Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I) |
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II) |
| Torture |
| United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of the Liberty |
Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
| Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
| Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
| Principles on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |
| Death Penalty |
| Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty |
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United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Programme (UNODC)
- responsible for crime prevention, criminal justice and criminal law reform. Resolutions relating to the Crime Programme (formerly International Penal and Penitentiary Commission -IPPC) adopted by the General Assembly at its 55th session in September 2000 |
UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime - A/RES/55/25 (November 2002) and its Protocols |
Strengthening of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme, in particular its technical cooperation capacity - A/RES/55/64 (January 2001) |
Combating the criminal misuse of information technologies - A/RES/55/63 (January 2001) |
UN African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders - A/RES/55/62 (January 2001) |
International legal instrument against corruption - A/RES/55/61 (January 2001) |
Follow-up to the 10th UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders - A/RES/55/60 (January 2001) |
Vienna Declaration on Crime and Justice - A/RES/55/59 (January 2001) |
International cooperation against the world drug problem - A/RES/55/65 (January 2001) |
Traffic in women and girls - A/RES/55/67 (January 2001) |
Preventing and combating corrupt practices and illegal transfer of funds and repatriation of such funds to the countries of origin - A/RES/55/188 |
| Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime - A/RES/55/255 |
Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime |
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| PUBLICATIONS |
UN |
| The periodic United Nations Surveys of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems began in 1978 |
| The International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) published since 1989 |
Handbook on Justice for Victims published in 1999 |
| Guide for Policy Makers: On the Implementation of the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power published in 1999 |
United Nations Standards & Norms in Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice published in 2003 |
Manual for the Development of a System of Criminal Justice Statistics published 2003 |
| Legislative Guide for the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and the Protocols thereto published in 2004 |
Promoting the Prevention of Crime published 2004 |
Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime by Intergovernmental Expert Group published in July 2005 |
Seventh survey on capital punishment and on the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, covering the period 1999-2003 and the country report published in 2005 |
UN panel adopts measure on preventing discrimination in criminal justice systems in August 2005 |
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INTERNATIONAL |
| World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems |
Global Report on Crime and Justice |
Counter Terrorism Measures and the Impact on International Human Rights Standards in the Field of Criminal Justice |
Changing Face of International Criminal Law |
| Offenders and Victims: Accountability and Fairness in the Justice Process |
Cooperating with the International Criminal Court: Potential Implications for National Criminal Justice Personnel |
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Criminal Justice Reform: Lessons Learned, Community Involvement and Restorative Justice, Rapporteur's Report |
Model Guidelines For The Effective Prosecution of Crimes Against Children |
| Model Guidelines For The Effective Prosecution of Crimes Against Children - Annotated Version |
| Implementing International Standards in Search and Seizure: Striking the Balance Between Enforcing the Law and Respecting the Rights of the Individual |
International Efforts to Contain Money Laundering |
| International Prison Policy Development Instrument -
Preface, Section-I, Section-II, Section-III, Section-IV, Section-V, Section-VI, A Strategic Framework |
Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice |
Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Compendium |
Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Resource Manual |
Placing Indigenous Justice Developments in Context: Some Dimensions for Analysis of the Experience |
| Crime, Victims, and Justice: Essays on Principles and Practice |
| Ministerial Conference of the G-8 Countries on Combating Transnational Organised Crime |
| G8 Recommendations on Transnational Crime |
| Organised Crime, Terrorism and Cybercrime |
| Links between Terrorism and Drug Trafficking: A Case of 'Narco-terrorism' |
Falling Short of the Mark: An international study on the Treatment of Human Trafficking Victims |
| Putting 'justice' into the juvenile justice system |
| Access to Justice in a Changing World: Collection of Papers and Suva Statement on the Principles of Judicial Independence and Access to Justice |
Statewatch Report: The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture criticises the undermining of the non-refoulement principle and the use of terrorism as a pretext to justify torture |
Policing and Human Rights: Eliminating Discrimination, Xenophobia, Intolerance and the Abuse of Power from Police Work |
Restorative Justice around the World |
| An international review of restorative justice |
| Role of Defence Lawyers in guaranteeing a fair trial |
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| COMMONWEALTH |
Commonwealth Guidelines for the Treatment of Victims of Crime - Best Practice |
Putting 'justice' into the juvenile justice system : Country reports from Kenya, Pakistan and Nigeria |
Trafficking in Women: Causes, Consequences and Implications |
Police Accountability: Too Important to Neglect, Too Urgent to Delay |
| Commonwealth Statement of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime |
Development of Commonwealth Strategies to Combat Trafficking in Women and Children |
Commonwealth Law Bulletin |
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| ASIA PACIFIC , SOUTH ASIA & Africa |
| Advisory Council of Jurists: Final Report on Torture recommends minimum interrogation standards |
| Human Trafficking and National Human Rights Institutions: Cooperating to End Impunity for Traffickers and to Secure Justice for Trafficked People in Asia Pacific region |
| Prevention of Torture – Progress Paper on the Role of NHRIs in Asia Pacific region |
Enforcing Human Rights and Access to Justice: The South Asian Judicial Colloquium Series-South Asia |
Child justice law reform developments in Africa and international standards on the rights of the child |
The Forgotten of Africa, Wasting Away in Jails Without Trial |
| The Lilongwe Declaration on Accessing Legal Aid in the Criminal Justice System in Africa |
The Involvement of (Local) Communities in Crime Prevention: The case of African Countries |
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| AUSTRALIA |
Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission intervenes in challenge to immigration detention of children |
| Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission of Australia (AHREOC) says there is no place for the death penalty in the 21st Century |
| Indigenous young people with cognitive disabilities and Australian juvenile justice systems |
| Restorative justice : an Australian perspective |
The Role of ADR Processes in the Criminal Justice System: A view from Australia |
Protecting colonial interests: Aborigines and criminal justice |
Aboriginal criminal justice in Australia |
| Restorative justice : an Australian perspective |
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| CANADA |
A new Conciliation Model by Canadian Human Rights Commission - Alternative Dispute Resolution Services |
| Justice Reforms in Canada - Examples of Responding to Global and Domestic Pressures |
Compendium of Legal Instruments and Useful Technical Assistance Tools to Prevent Terrorism and Other Related Forms of Crime |
Far More Than a Wishing Well - Canadian Cooperation in the Field of Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice |
Human Trafficking - Reference Guide for Canadian Law Enforcement |
Integrated Policing to Combat Organised Crime in Canada |
Interaction Between International and Domestic Human Rights Law: A Canadian Perspective |
Aboriginal peoples and the Criminal Justice System in Canada
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Prison overcrowding and the reintegration of offenders in Canada : A discussion paper
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Protecting Their Rights: A Systemic Review of Human Rights in Correctional Services for Federally Sentenced Women by Canadian Human Rights Commission |
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| FIJI |
| Fiji Human Rights Commission's submission on Promotion of Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill 2005 |
Healing Fiji through Restorative Justice A New Way to Reconciliation and Forgiveness |
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| GHANA |
World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems, Ghana |
"Judicial Reform: Impact, Driving Force, Future" in Ghana |
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| INDIA |
Criminal Justice System "reforms"-India |
Report of the Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System in India |
Recommendations of the Malimath Committee on reforms of Criminal Justice System |
India: Report of the Malimath Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System: Some observations - Amnesty International |
| Criminal Justice Reform in India: International Commission of Jurists Position Paper: Review of the Recommendations made by the Justice Malimath Committee from an International Human Rights Perspective |
The (Malimath) Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System: Premises, Politics and Implications for Human Rights - With an Introductory Critique by Prof. Upendra Baxi |
A critique of the Recommendations by the Committee on Reforms of the Criminal Justice System in India
by Asian Human Rights Commission |
Access to Justice: Witness Protection and Judicial Administration in India by Justice Madan B. Lokur |
Action Research on trafficking in Women and Children by Indian National Human Rights Commission |
| Checking, Correcting and Preventing Human Rights Violations through Community Involvement in Prisons -- Handbook for Prison visitors by Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative |
Handbook of Human Rights and Criminal Justice in India: The System and Procedure by
South Asia Human Rights Documentation |
Criminal Justice Reform in India must meet International Human Rights Standards says International Commission of Jurists |
Juvenile Justice: The Indian System: From Welfare to Rights |
The Impact of Juvenile Justice Reforms in India |
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| KENYA |
| Juvenile Justice in Kenya and Summary of Recommendations by Consortium for Street Children |
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| MALAWI |
Energising the criminal justice system in Malawi - A Paralegal Aid Service |
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| MALAYSIA |
SUHAKAM (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia ) Report on Trafficking in Women and Children: Review of laws on human trafficking needed |
| Freedom of Expression and the Right to a Fair Trial in Malaysia |
Report Forum on the Right to an Expeditious and Fair Trial in Malaysia by SUHAKAM |
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| MALDIVES |
| Report on the Criminal Justice System of the Republic of Maldives: Proposals for Reform |
Torture: A hallmark of Maldives Criminal Justice System by Husnu Al Suood (A former member of the Maldives Human Rights Commission) |
The Maldives Criminal Justice System – An Alternative Method for Punishment |
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| NEW ZEALAND |
New Zealand's Criminal Justice System |
Restorative Justice in New Zealand |
Prisoners' and Victims' Claims Bill doesn't do prisoners or victims justice in New Zealand says Human Rights Commission of New Zealand |
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| NIGERIA |
| “Rest in Pieces” Police Torture and Deaths in Custody in Nigeria |
The Death Penalty and Women under the Nigeria Penal Systems |
Child Justice Reform in Nigeria |
Juvenile Justice in Nigeria and
Summary of Recommendations by Consortium for Street Children |
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| PAKISTAN |
| Pakistan: Protection of juveniles in the criminal justice system |
New Era for Pakistan's Police : Working on the principle that justice reform and development are closely linked, Pakistan has made a quantum leap toward reforming its outdated police services |
Index on crime prevention and criminal justice in Pakistan |
Protection of juveniles in the criminal justice system in Pakistan remains inadequate |
Denial of basic rights for child prisoners in Pakistan |
Juvenile Justice in Pakistan and Summary of Recommendations by Consortium for Street Children |
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| SOUTH AFRICA |
The criminal justice system and the prosecution of human rights: the role of the prosecution service - Amnesty International |
Justice Sector and the Rule of Law in South Africa |
Does the Criminal Justice System Protect Children by South African Human Rights Commission |
Report into the Enquiry into Sexual Offences Against Children: Does the Criminal Justice System Protect Children by South African Human Rights Commission |
Report into the Arrest and Detention of Suspected Undocumented Migrants by South African Human Rights Commission |
Report on the Process of the Substitution of the Death Penalty by South African Human Rights Commission |
| The police that we want: A handbook for oversight of the police in South Africa |
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| SRI LANKA |
Criminal Justice System of Sri Lanka |
Criminal Justice and the Effects of Insurgency in Sri Lanka |
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| UGANDA |
| Concerns regarding torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in Uganda |
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| UNITED KINGDOM |
| Seeking asylum is not a crime: detention of people who have sought asylum –Amnesty International reports on UK |
Statistics on race and criminal justice system in the UK |
'Justice Denied: Asylum and Immigration Legal Aid – a System in Crisis': Asylum seekers denied justice due to crisis in legal aid funding in the UK |
| UK's Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 incompatible with Human Rights Obligations by Human Rights Watch |
Deaths in custody: Interim Report -First Report of Session 2003 -04, Joint Committee on Human Rights, UK |
| Putting victims first: Domestic Violence, Crime & Victims Bill – UK |
Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill in the UK |
Rethinking Crime & Punishment: The Report |
| "Countering Terrorism and Protecting Human Rights” report by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
Investigating Lethal Force Deaths in Northern Ireland by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
| The Hurt Inside: The Imprisonment of Women and Girls in Northern Ireland by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
The Rights of People Who Have Been Arrested- A review of the Law in Northern Ireland by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
Countering Terrorism and Protecting Human Rights by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
Human Rights and Victims of Violence by Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission |
| Review of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland the report of the Criminal Justice System Review, 30 March 2000 |
Statistics on race and criminal justice system in the UK |
| Community Restorative Justice in Northern Ireland – An Overview |
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in the UK |
| Lost in Transition - A report of the Barrow Cadbury Commission on Young Adults and the Criminal Justice System in the UK |
Restorative Justice: the way ahead |
| Restoring youth justice: New directions in domestic and international law and practice |
How to Appeal: a guide to the criminal appeal system |
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| RESOURCE CENTRES |
| Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council, Australia |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice, Australia |
Amnesty International |
| Access to Justice Network (ACJNet), Canada |
| Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology |
| Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions |
| Barrow Cadbury Trust, UK |
Centre for Restorative Justice, Canada |
| Commonwealth Secretariat |
| Criminal Justice Reform Unit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime |
| Criminal Justice Resources: Organised Crime |
| Human Rights Watch |
International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy |
| International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, Canada |
International Criminal Court |
International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS) |
| International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law, Canada |
| Institutes of the UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network |
| JUSTICE, UK |
| Penal Reform International |
| Restorative Justice Consortium, UK |
| Restorative Justice Online |
| United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders |
United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute |
| United Nations Surveys on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems |
| United Nations International Drug Control Programme |
| Search Penal Code by country |
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Also see the e-Alert on Human Trafficking across the Commonwealth |
