Seoul, Republic of Korea, 21-23 September 2026
Understanding crime requires listening to the people who experience it. Crime victimization surveys capture experiences that may never appear in police records, alongside people’s perceptions of safety and criminal justice institutions. Making these surveys sustainable and ensuring their findings inform policy is central to the UNODC-KOSTAT Centre of Excellence’s (CoE) work with national partners across Asia and the Pacific.
Building on these partnerships, the CoE convened the Regional Seminar on Crime Victimization Surveys in Seoul, bringing together 24 national representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Thailand and the Republic of Korea. Over three days, experts responsible for national survey programmes examined how to improve future survey rounds, sustain institutional support and make greater use of the evidence produced.
CoE Coordinator Youngshil Park delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the role of crime victimization surveys in revealing the “dark figure of crime”- crime that is not reported to or recorded by the police - and complementing national crime and criminal justice statistics. She also welcomed the development of a regional network for continued cooperation on crime victimization surveys. Jisu Kim, the CoE’s Statistical Officer, led and facilitated the sessions throughout the three-day programme, guiding exchanges across survey planning, design, implementation, analysis and dissemination.
Building on sustained country engagement
The seminar marked a further step in the CoE’s continuing engagement with national institutions to translate international statistical standards into practical survey programmes.
In Kyrgyzstan, the CoE’s support has progressed from a crime statistics workshop in 2023 to assistance with survey design, questionnaire development, stakeholder coordination and fieldwork preparation. In March 2026, the CoE supported the presentation and discussion of preliminary findings from the country’s 2025 Victimization and Perception on Safety Survey, helping connect the production of statistics with national discussions on crime prevention and justice.
(more info: https://coekostat.unodc.org/coekostat/en/news/20260324-25-kyrgyzstan-cvs.html)
In the Philippines, collaboration with the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) has supported methodological preparations for the National Survey on Safety from Crime and Experience of Victimization. Technical consultations have addressed sampling, questionnaire structure and enumerator guidance, supporting efforts to integrate the collection of information on perceptions of safety and experiences of victimization. (more info: https://coekostat.unodc.org/coekostat/en/news/20260213_sharpening-the-national-crime-victimization-survey-through-technical-consultation.html)
The CoE’s engagement in Mongolia included a 2023 workshop supporting preparations for the country’s first crime victimization survey and dialogue on inter-agency cooperation. Cooperation with the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice (KICJ) has also advanced work on victimization surveys and regional capacity development, while engagement in Thailand has supported dialogue on measuring and reporting Sustainable Development Goal 16 indicators.
Together, these engagements provided a foundation for bringing national experience into a wider regional exchange.
Turning national experience into shared expertise
All five participating countries brought experience of conducting national crime victimization surveys. This allowed discussions to focus on practical choices: how to improve survey methods and operations, strengthen partnerships and ensure that findings reach the institutions that can use them.
Participants represented Kyrgyzstan’s General Prosecutor Office, National Statistics Committee and Ministry of Interior; Mongolia’s National Statistics Office; the Philippines’ National Police Commission; the Republic of Korea’s KICJ and National Police Agency; and Thailand’s Office of Justice Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and Thammasat University.
Bringing together statistical offices, justice institutions, researchers and survey practitioners enabled participants to consider both the technical requirements of producing reliable data and the institutional arrangements needed to sustain survey programmes. Structured working sessions provided space to compare approaches, exchange lessons learned and explore responses to common challenges.
Two guest expert sessions broadened the exchange. Representatives of the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics shared experience from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, including research on panel design and online data collection. The Korean National Police Agency presented an integrated criminal justice information management system connecting government agencies, adding a complementary perspective on the management of administrative information.
Sustaining surveys and strengthening their policy value
Participating countries agreed to continue their survey programmes and explore broader national partnerships to mobilize funding and expand the use of results. Discussions highlighted the importance of dissemination and of presenting findings in ways that respond to policy needs.
The CoE will support these efforts through tailored technical assistance to national institutions. Participants will also maintain an online channel to share survey findings, programme updates and relevant resources, extending professional exchange beyond the seminar.
The discussions will inform two publications to be jointly developed by the CoE and participating countries: the Regional CVS Brief and the Regional Snapshot on Crime and Victimization. These outputs will bring together lessons and evidence for a wider regional audience.
By connecting sustained country assistance with regional peer learning, the CoE is helping turn national expertise into a shared resource. The CoE will continue to lead this regional dialogue, strengthening countries’ capacity to produce and use crime statistics for informed policymaking.
