"In the face of COVID-19, developed nations like the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) have found themselves in a paradoxical situation. Despite their public-health security and economic wealth, their COVID-19 caseload and death toll are relatively higher than those of poorer, and in terms of public health, more vulnerable countries."
Prof. Sheila Jasanoff, an academic from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, raised this point during her presentation on lessons learned from COVID-19 responses because it could hinder efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The presentation took place as a part of a parallel seminar of the 18th National Symposium on Justice Administration, which was recently held.
The seminar featured specialists and representatives from relevant organisations. Mr. Enrico Bisogno, chief of the Data Development and Dissemination Unit at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Austria or UNODC Vienna, joined the stage to present world crime trends during the COVID-19 situation. Prof. Jasanoff discussed the world's COVID-19 overview, while Ms. Lovita Ramguttee, deputy representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Thailand, talked about how COVID-19 affected the path towards SDGs. Dr. Phiset Sa-ardyen, executive director of the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), served as the seminar's moderator.
Lessons from COVID-19 Responses around the World
Prof. Jasanoff said each nation introduced different policies in response to COVID-19, citing findings from a research she had done with various teams across several countries.
According to the research, the US – which is ranked No. 1 on the Global Health Security Index Map – has poorly controlled COVID-19 while India, despite its severe outbreak, has still outperformed some European countries as well as Thailand.
The study, moreover, shows the relations between people and the state. With each state having different relations and context, countries can be divided into three categories as follows:
1st category – Control; countries that have achieved a significant degree of control over the situation in all aspects. Among them is Taiwan.
2nd category – Consensus; applied to countries that people have solidly cooperated with their government in the COVID-19 situation. Germany is a leading example here. In Germany, people have taken part in the decision-making process.
3rd category – Chaos; applied to countries with an enormous number of COVID-19 infections and deaths. Without a consensus, chaos prevails in all aspects. These countries' public health sovereignty has been bitterly contested.
Her study also shows that several countries have responded to the COVID-19 situation with market-stimulus measures, cash handouts, and remedial actions that have not won public approval. In some countries, the pandemic has amplified political division. The public also does not trust experts (ignoring the advice of doctors and public-health specialists). There are even conflicts between the central government and local administrations, which do not work in the same direction.
The study's findings are in line with Ms. Ramguttee's presentation. The deputy representative of UNDP – Thailand said chaos has spread around the world with protests against society, government agencies, and health authorities in the wake of COVID-19. Sexual violence, oppression, and uprisings have also risen.
Still, Ms. Ramguttee explained that, "The first thing we have witnessed is the united effort to fight the pandemic. As domestic resources are dwindling, several developing nations have changed the objectives of their resource usage, especially fiscal resources. In the middle-income group (including Thailand), four percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) has been directed to COVID-19 responses. The low-income group has allocated about two percent of the GDP for the purpose. While fiscal gaps are seen, it is clear development-themed investments should be at the heart of post-COVID rehabilitation in every country.”
For Thailand, she has made recommendations for three phases:
(1) Short-Term Phase: Focus should be on vulnerable groups (youth, people with disabilities, LGBT, and ethnic groups) who suffer from COVID-19 impacts, with employment promoted within the private sector.
(2) Medium-Term Phase: Thailand should upgrade its public services to better cover vulnerable groups in times of crises. The Social-welfare system, in particular, should become more comprehensive. It should also address gender inequality and, with the integration of technologies and innovations, promote the local economy.
(3) Long-Term Phase: Thailand should move toward a green economy or sustainable economy by driving the growth of the local economy.
Lockdowns and crime trends during COVID-19 outbreak:
Falling robberies and drug smuggling, rising organised crimes
UNODC research show some types of crimes such as robberies and drug smuggling have reduced during COVID-19 lockdowns in several countries.
Mr. Bisogno said the number of reported crimes had reduced because of:
(1) Reduced opportunities to commit crimes in public areas with people spending more time at home and facing travel restrictions; (2) Reduced border crossings which curbed access to drug sources; and (3) Victims' or witnesses' growing difficulty in reporting crimes or reaching out to state officials in the face of lockdown measures.
A crime category that has significantly risen during lockdowns is organised crime. Organised groups commit crimes for their vested interests. For example, illicit trade in necessary medical equipment that is widely lacking such as PPE gowns, test kits, and disinfecting liquids. During lockdowns, immigrant smuggling has also increased because of the pandemic's economic impacts.
Importantly, in addition to triggering adverse economic impacts and rising crimes, the pandemic has affected the judicial process regarding crime prevention and remedies. Financial and operational obstacles have arisen in the process. The COVID-19 situation, in all, has put a spotlight on inequalities affecting various vulnerable groups such as labourers, women, and low-income earners who are largely ignored in the crisis. Such problems are making it more difficult for the world to achieve its SDGs.
Soaring crime exacerbates prison overcrowding, hindering sustainable development
A common and major problem among several countries today is prison overcrowding. At the seminar, Mr. Bisogno addressed the issue as follows:
In 2018, the highest occupancy rate of Southeast Asian nations' prisons was at 240 percent. Counting both convicted prisoners and sentenced prisoners, the rate means the number of prisoners has thus far exceeded the capacity of prisons.
Between October 2019 and March 2020, Thailand's Corrections Department implemented measures to ease prison overcrowding. In April 2020, it revealed that it ordered punishment suspension for 8,000 prisoners during the period. Those eligible for the suspension or the reduction of actual imprisonment days were well-behaved prisoners who had already completed two-thirds of their term. Thousands of prisoners were released early to curb prison overcrowding and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in the prisons (Source: https://ilaw.or.th/node/5664).
An important issue in this context covers the types of crimes that have been rising during the COVID-19 outbreak. Immigrant smuggling is punishable primarily by jail terms. Such ongoing trend suggests that prison overcrowding will worsen, posing a significant obstacle to the fulfilment of SDG16: Promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies whereby everyone can access justice, and strong institutions are in place to support the access at all levels.
The chief of the Data Development and Dissemination Unit at the UNODC Vienna recommended the following solutions: (1) In the COVID-19 situation, the focus must be on curbing prison overcrowding and preventing the payment of bribes to state officials. Such prevention will complement efforts to fulfil SDG16, and (2) Prisoner Rehabilitation projects are seriously needed to ease prison overcrowding, as they promise to give good citizens back to society.
Dr. Phiset Sa-ardyen, executive director of the TIJ, in his capacity as the moderator of the seminar, concluded the key message as follows: "I believe we need global responses to COVID-19 because we are now in a very fragile situation. In the face of this ongoing crisis, we must work with firm determination and dedication so as to empower ourselves. That way, we will be able to deal with the situation and achieve SDGs strongly. Our efforts will benefit everyone in society. No one will be left behind.”