1. The Committee considered agenda item 6 at the 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th meetings, on 8, 9 and 16 February 1990. It had before it a note by the Secretary-General on the results of the review undertaken by a sub-committee (E/AC.57/1990/6), which had been appointed by the Chairman of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control in accordance with Committee resolution 10/1. 2. In his introductory statement, the former Chairman of the Committee, who served as the Chairman of the sub-committee, mentioned that the sub-committee had met at Riyadh on 18 and 19 January 1989, with the support of the Arab Security Studies and Training Centre. The meeting was attended by members of the Bureau of the Committee and other designated experts, as well as by the directors of the regional and interregional institutes for the prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders, the Arab Security Studies and Training Centre and the Australian Institute of Criminology. 3. The sub-committee's report stressed that crime control ranked at the forefront of governmental responsibilities and was a prerequisite for national progress. Indicating that the available mechanisms for assisting countries with problems of crime and justice were still deficient, the sub-committee called for greatly strengthened international assistance to help States to deal with problems of national and transnational crime by the creation of a genuinely effective international crime and justice programme, using the modality of an international convention, 4. The Chairman of the sub-committee noted that, despite the Organization's budgetary limitations, other United Nations programmes had been allotted additional resources, while the crime prevention programme was still suffering from severe constraints. It seemed to operate at a continuing disadvantage, in spite of the calls for improvement of the situation. That state of affairs could not continue. 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing a United Nations committee's consideration of a report on crime prevention and control. The language used suggests a focus on international cooperation and assistance to help countries deal with crime and justice issues. The discussion of budgetary limitations and the need for strengthened international assistance also implies a focus on governance and international relations.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, International relations