Overview

The Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) is a research institute affiliated with the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network or UN-PNI.​

The vision of the TIJ is to be a promoter of change to enhance justice system and foster a culture of lawfulness in Thailand and the wider international communities through research, capacity-building and policy advocacy activities in crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law. 

Building on Thailand’s engagement in the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the UN Crime Congresses, TIJ serves as a bridge that transports global ideas to local practices, focusing on cross-cutting issues including the interconnection between the rule of law and sustainable development, peace and security. 

TIJ primarily seeks to promote criminal justice system reform through the implementation of international standards and norms related to the vulnerable groups in contact with the justice system while encouraging coordination among domestic justice constituencies and strengthening regional cooperation, particularly within the ASEAN region. 

One of the core beliefs of TIJ is to invest in human resources and practical knowledge base on the rule of law since TIJ recognizes that the rule of law and an effective and fair criminal justice system are integral components to inclusive economic growth, human rights protection and sustainable development.

The UN Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network Institutes (PNIs) were established by the Secretariat of the United Nations. Consisting of the UNODC and many interregional and regional institutes, as well as specialized centres around the world, the PNIs have specific mandates to assist the international community in strengthening cooperation in the crucial area of crime prevention and criminal justice. With TIJ’s official recognition, there are now 18 PNI members worldwide working to provide a variety of services, including the exchange of information, research, training, technical assistance and public education to the UN Member States. 

On 24 May 2016, Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) was officially recognized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as the latest member of the United Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme Network Institutes (PNIs). 

Dr. Kittipong Kittayarak, TIJ Executive Director, and Mr. Yury Fedotov, UNODC Executive Director and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV), signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two organizations at the United Nations Office in Vienna during the 25th Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ). 

To be a promoter of change to enhance the rule of law, criminal justice systems and crime prevention in Thailand and the region

1. Promote and support the implementation of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (“the Bangkok Rules”) in Thailand and at the international level as guidelines for the criminal justice system 

2. Conduct research on and disseminate United Nations standards and norms on the criminal justice systems, the guidelines for the treatment of offenders, as well as support reintegration of offenders to enhance the criminal justice systems in Thailand and abroad

3. Promote and cultivate knowledge related to the rule of law to strengthen the capacity of practitioners in the criminal justice system in order to create fair and justice societies   

4. Become a center of international excellence for the enhancement of criminal justice systems and treatment of offenders, with a focus on the cooperation with the United Nations Programme Network Institutes (PNIs) and within the ASEAN framework  

5. Enhance the image of Thai criminal justice system at the international level, to increase its recognition and strengthen cooperative efforts across justice systems

The TIJ Core Value enhances awareness among personnel concerning the alignment of their conduct with both the organizational ethos and their individual mandates. This initiative aims to establish a cohesive framework conducive to flexible operational paradigms and the cultivation of enduring organizational resilience. Key components include:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Inclusiveness
• Collaboration
• Determination

The Declaration of Thailand Institute of Justice: The Pledge of Administrative Integrity

1. Transparency
TIJ has established the disclosure policy which requires that activities of institution, particularly with regard to procurement procedures, need to be executed based on the principle of accuracy, transparency and accountability in which every stakeholder has the opportunity to participate in important matters. There is also the grievance management system with regard to transparent administration, which is established on the basis of integrity and professionalism.

2. Accountability                              
TIJ has established administrative and management policy which is in accordance with the rule of law and the principle of accountability. To ensure the credibility of our institution, TIJ strictly adheres to the regulations and legal standards with regard to good governance, integrity and transparency. In the case that there is any misconduct occurs within the institution, we pledge to be accountable and deal with the situation promptly to ensure the credibility of our institution.

3. Corruption-Free Administration
The institutional administration is adhered to the principle of good governance. We pledge to carry out our missions based on transparency and anti-corruption principle, either in the form of policies or actual practices. We have implemented a systemic monitoring and regulating mechanism to ensure that our staffs will adhere to the corruption-free standard. The rule for the prevention of conflict of interests is also promoted in this regard.

4. Culture of Lawfulness within the Institution
TIJ has implemented awareness raising policy with the purpose of cultivating culture of lawfulness within the institution to the extent that the culture of being ashamed of corruption is fully established. The improvement of the system for the prevention of conflict of interests together with the checks and balances system are deemed significant in cultivating such a culture.

5. Institutional Merit System
Missions of TIJ are carried out on the non-discrimination basis. Our budget administration system is based on the principle of transparency, accountability, effectiveness and efficiency. We also cultivate a good personnel management system, for we are aware of its impact on the quality of our missions’ outputs.

6. Internal Communications
TIJ has implemented the policy in promoting the principle of administrative integrity and transparency by announcing the executive’s integrity pledge internally in order to motivate all staff to adopt a good attitude. The means of communication to cultivate and foster such attitude will be carried out in various active forms, both formal and informal. Technology would be utilized in order to improve the standard of internal communications.

The Sustainable Development Goals, with the inter-related 17 goals including the new one dedicated to peace, justice and the rule of law, provide us with a frame of reference to look at criminal justice system and crime prevention in a broad context.

TIJ believes that one possible way to reflect upon the roles of crime prevention and criminal justice is through a development-led perspective. For instance, when we look at those who commit the crime, we can broaden the scope of our attention to not only focus on fact finding and subsequent sanction, but also take into account the various factors including structural ones that shape the decision-making that led to the incident of a person committing an offense or struggling to desist from reoffending. We believe the development-led approach to crime prevention and criminal justice is relevant to a wide range of circumstances where effective responses require an understanding of the root causes of crime and structural disadvantages that led people to be in contact with the criminal justice.