Radu Marinescu, the Romanian Minister of Justice, met on Thursday, December 17, with the permanent representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, Kaifu Atsushi, in which context they discussed, among other things, common priorities in the field of justice. The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
In the margins of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the Romanian delegation, led by the Minister of Justice, Radu Marinescu, had a bilateral meeting with the Japanese delegation, led by His Excellency, Kaifu Atsushi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, permanent representative of Japan to the International Organizations in Vienna, together with representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Japan.
“The discussions focused on common priorities in the field of justice and the strengthening of the bilateral partnership, with an emphasis on the prevention of recidivism and the exchange of best practices in terms of social reintegration policies“, it is stated in a statement sent on Thursday by the Ministry of Justice.
Also, the situation of a Romanian citizen detained in a prison in Japan was addressed, in the context of respect for fundamental rights and applicable international standards.
During the dialogue, the officials of the two sides recalled and appreciated the contribution of the Romanian Ministry of Justice experts to the work formats carried out under the auspices of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), during which the model strategies on reducing recidivism, initiated by the Japanese side, were negotiated.
“This cooperation contributed to the finalization of the document known as the Kyoto Model Strategies, adopted by consensus during the 34th session of the Commission for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, held from May 19-23, 2025, a document co-sponsored, among others, by Japan and Romania”, it is also shown in the communiqué.
According to the adopted resolution, UNODC was mandated to develop training materials on recidivism reduction and disseminate information on successful practices, taking into account the experiences of member states.
“The meeting reconfirmed the commitment of both parties to continue the dialogue and bilateral cooperation, in the spirit of the partnership relations between Romania and Japan and of the common objectives of consolidating effective penal policies oriented towards reintegration”, the Ministry of Justice also sent.
Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption
The participation of the Romanian delegation at the eleventh session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption takes place in the context of the commitments assumed by Romania as a state party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, a document adopted in New York on October 31, 2003, signed by the Romanian state in Merida – Mexico, on December 9, 2003, and ratified in 2004 by Law no. 365/2004.
During the plenary session of the Conference of the States Parties, Radu Marinescu highlighted the current priorities of our country in the field of preventing and fighting corruption, with an emphasis on the process of elaborating the future national anti-corruption policy, which is currently in the process of foundation.
“This approach will be carried out by capitalizing on the good practices learned from international and regional forums, so that the future strategy is fully aligned with contemporary standards and trends in the field of preventing and fighting corruption.At the same time, the Minister of Justice, Mr. Radu Marinescu, highlighted Romania’s sustained efforts to consolidate a mature strategic framework and a stable institutional architecture, capable of managing complex risks and coherently responding to the dynamic and evolving nature of the corruption phenomenon, in accordance with the standards and mechanisms established by the United Nations Convention against Corruption”. transmitted the Ministry of Justice, in a post on Facebook
Also, during the plenary session of the Conference, the Romanian delegation supported multiple interventions regarding: the national strategic vision aimed at the Review Mechanism for the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption; prevention of corruption; the recovery of criminal assets, distinctly highlighting the victim-centred dimension, including by directing confiscated assets towards support, protection and prevention activities; international cooperation.
