Suva (Fiji), 26 September – 1 October 2025 – The CoE, in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) through the Data for SIDS (DATAS) initiative, supported a series of technical meetings in Fiji aimed at strengthening national crime and criminal justice statistics. The mission focused on enhancing cross-institutional coordination, assessing existing data systems, and establishing a plan for the nationwide implementation of the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS).
The initiative forms part of DESA’s broader support to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to improve the production and dissemination of timely, high-quality statistics. Fiji joined the DATAS initiative in January 2025, with the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (FBOS) as the lead agency. Crime and justice were identified as priority areas, and relevant institutions—including the Fiji Police Force, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Judiciary, and Fiji Corrections Service—highlighted the need for standardized data templates, digitalized systems, and harmonized classification.
The initiative aims to strengthen the production and dissemination of crime statistics and to support ICCS implementation across all crime and criminal justice institutions to capture the full flow of the criminal justice system, from police reporting through prosecution, courts, and corrections.
During the mission, the CoE visited all the relevant institutions, and across multiple bilateral meetings, national agencies reviewed existing systems, discussed harmonized classification needs, and explored options for a national case identifier to track cases throughout the justice chain. Although capacities and digital infrastructure vary, all institutions expressed strong interest in improving data quality, coordination, and evidence-based decision-making.
The consultations concluded with an agreed action plan, including finalizing a national ICCS correspondence table, preparing formal collaboration agreements and Terms of Reference between institutions, and initiating pilot exercises to support Fiji’s transition toward a standardized and more robust crime statistics system.
This mission marked the first step of the project, which will continue in 2026 with close support for developing a national classification aligned with the ICCS, as well as tailored assistance to each institution. Planned activities include designing standardized data entry templates for the Corrections Service and disseminating the Guidelines for the production of statistical data for each criminal justice institutions.
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