United Nations, Italy and Mexico launch cooperation programme to strengthen penitentiary system and social crime prevention

There can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without justice. With that conviction, Ms. Allegra Baiocchi, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Mexico, joined the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the Government of Italy and Mexican authorities to launch the Programme Strengthening the Penitentiary System and Social Crime Prevention Policies in Mexico, a trilateral cooperation initiative funded by Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) that will run for 36 months.

The launch conference was held in the Mario Molina Room at the United Nations Mexico headquarters and brought together representatives of the Attorney General's Office, the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City, the Mexico City Secretariat of Citizen Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, the Italian Embassy in Mexico, Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as UNICRI staff, academics and civil society representatives.

Welcoming participants to the conference, Ms. Baiocchi noted that the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Mexico 2026-2031 places crime prevention and institutional strengthening among its strategic priorities shared with the Mexican State, and stressed that the programme's comprehensive approach - combining security, prevention, institutional strengthening and social reintegration, in line with the Nelson Mandela Rules - contributes to consolidating Mexico's role as a regional reference in Latin America.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of Mexico, Mr. Jacobo Olaf Rodríguez, Head of the Administrative Body for Prevention and Social Reintegration (PRS), recognised the strategic value of international cooperation as a fundamental tool for knowledge exchange, capacity development and the strengthening of institutions in the service of security and justice.

He highlighted that a recent working visit to Italy by representatives of the Federal Penitentiary System and the Mexico City Penitentiary System facilitated an exchange of knowledge, experiences, operational models and institutional mechanisms in the penitentiary field.

He further noted that the current administration is advancing a comprehensive vision of security that considers the strengthening of institutions responsible for penitentiary custody, penitentiary intelligence, crime prevention and social reintegration as essential elements for building peace.

He reiterated the commitment of the Federal Penitentiary System to incorporating international good practices, enhancing operational capacities and continuing to advance towards increasingly high standards of professionalisation, effectiveness and respect for human rights.

H.E Alessandro Modiano, Ambassador of Italy to Mexico, emphasized Italy's willingness to share with Mexico the tools and methodologies developed over decades of combating organized crime, which have made Italy the world's leading "exporter of anti-mafia expertise." These tools and methodologies have enabled cooperation in the fields of security and justice - driven by a shared commitment to fighting transnational organized crime - to become one of the fundamental pillars of the bilateral partnership between the two countries.

Speaking via video link, Mr. Leif Villadsen, UNICRI Acting Director, noted that the challenges associated with organized crime require coordinated responses with an international scope, and thanked the Government of Italy and the Mexican institutions whose commitment made the initiative possible.

"This programme goes beyond a bilateral effort: it is part of a broader multilateral commitment to build stronger, more coordinated regional responses to organized crime," Villadsen said.

During the event, speakers from the Mexican and Italian authorities welcomed the cooperation between Mexico, Italy and UNICRI. Among them were Mr. César Oliveros Aparicio, Head of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime of the Attorney General's Office of Mexico; Ms. Beatriz Segura Rosas, Magistrate of the First Chamber Specialized in the Execution of Criminal Sanctions of the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City; Mr. Andres Ponce Aceituno, Undersecretary for the Penitentiary System of Mexico City; Mr. Eduardo Alcibíades Sánchez Kiesslich, Director General for the United Nations at Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Alessio Nardi, Adviser for Security, Justice, Cooperation and Development Policies at Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and General of the Guardia di Finanza (virtual intervention); Mr. Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, Legal Adviser to Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (virtual intervention). They underscored that the initiative strengthens ongoing efforts in the penitentiary sector and contributes to the objectives of Mexico's security and justice policies, particularly in relation to the recovery and dignification of penitentiary centres, the enhancement of institutional capacities, and the social reintegration of persons deprived of liberty.

About the programme

Implemented by UNICRI with funding from Italy's MAECI, the programme seeks to strengthen the security, governance and management of Mexico's penitentiary system, with an emphasis on high-risk persons deprived of liberty, through five lines of work: 1) strengthening penitentiary intelligence; 2) preventing and countering riots and extortion; 3) addressing the risks of organized crime infiltration in penitentiary centres; 4) promoting social reintegration through work programmes and community activities; and 5) strengthening international cooperation through the exchange of experiences and good practices in the region.

Headquartered in Turin, Italy, UNICRI was established in 1965 with a mandate to support Member States in developing crime prevention and criminal justice policies and strengthening institutional capacities, combining applied research, technical assistance, training and field projects.

The launch of this programme illustrates the benefits of trilateral cooperation between Italy, Mexico and the United Nations to strengthen the rule of law, prevent crime and advance towards safer, fairer penitentiary systems oriented towards social reintegration.

Through this initiative, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection further enhances coordination and cooperation with international institutions to build strategic partnerships aimed at strengthening and professionalising penitentiary systems and developing joint solutions.