THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE DESIRABILITY OF PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DECISION MAKERS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL TO EXCHANGE VIEWS AND DEVELOP JOINT STRATEGIES FOR CRIME PREVENTION, BUT THERE WERE SOME DIFFERENCES OF OPINION AS TO HOW THIS SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. A MAJORITY OF THE SPEAKERS SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF A WORLDWIDE CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOCIAL DEFENSE, BUT SOME URGED, INSTEAD, MEETINGS OF MINISTERS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL AS A MORE PRACTICAL WAY OF EXCHANGING NATIONAL EXPERIENCE. THE NEED FOR DIVERSION FROM THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT OF CATEGORIES OF OFFENDERS SUCH AS JUVENILES WAS NOTED, AS WAS THE NEED FOR PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR DETAINEES WHO WERE NOT PRISONERS IN THE STRICT SENSE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)...KAP