The report presents crime trends and criminal justice system operations on a comparative basis. Drawing on numerous sources from within the United Nations and ancillary agencies, it examines emerging developments in crime and justice around the world. Emphasis is given to the various ways countries approach crime as well as the common perspectives of crime held between countries and regions. Among the data and information addressed are the International Crime Victims Survey conducted in some 60 countries across the globe and overseen by an international working group; the United Nations International Study on the Regulation of Firearms; many resolutions and papers produced by various United Nations bodies during the course of their particular programs; and special contributions by many scholars, researchers, policymakers, and administrators with specific expertise and knowledge. Among the topics discussed are police records of crime, punishment, criminal justice resources, firearms abuse and regulation, drugs and drug control, international trends in crime prevention, and emerging issues in transnational crime and its control. 580 references and extensive tables and figures