United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
A/RES/70/175
(e) Protection and special needs of vulnerable groups deprived of their
liberty, taking into consideration countries in difficult circumstances (rules 6 and 7),
(f)
and 93),
(g)
The right of access to legal representation (rules 30; 35, para. 1; 37;
Complaints and independent inspection (rules 36 and 55),
(h) The replacement of outdated terminology (rules 22–26, 62, 82 and 83 and
various others),
(i) Training of relevant staff to implement the Standard Minimum Rules
(rule 47),
Mindful also that, in its resolution 69/192, it reiterated that any changes to the
Standard Minimum Rules should not lower any of the existing standards, but should
reflect recent advances in correctional science and good practices so as to promote
safety, security and humane conditions for prisoners,
Mindful further of the extensive consultative process culminating in the
recommendations of the Expert Group, a process spanning a period of five years,
consisting of technical and expert pre-consultations, meetings in Vienna, Buenos
Aires and Cape Town, South Africa, and the active participation and input of
Member States from all regions, assisted by representatives of the United Nations
crime prevention and criminal justice programme network and other United Nations
entities, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime, intergovernmental organizations, including the International Committee of
the Red Cross, specialized agencies in the United Nations system, including the
World Health Organization, and non-governmental organizations and individual
experts in the field of correctional science and human rights,
Recalling its resolution 69/172 of 18 December 2014, entitled “Human rights
in the administration of justice”, in which it recognized the importance of the
principle that, except for those lawful limitations that are demonstrably necessitated
by the fact of incarceration, persons deprived of their liberty shall retain their
non-derogable human rights and all other human rights and fundamental freedoms,
recalled that the social rehabilitation and reintegration of persons deprived of their
liberty shall be among the essential aims of the criminal justice system, ensuring, as
far as possible, that offenders are able to lead a law-abiding and self-supporting life
upon their return to society, and took note of, inter alia, general comment No. 21 on
the humane treatment of persons deprived of their liberty, adopted by the Human
Rights Committee,23
1.
Expresses its gratitude and appreciation to the Government of South
Africa for hosting the meeting of the Expert Group on the Standard Minimum Rules
for the Treatment of Prisoners held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2 to 5 March
2015 and for providing financial support and leadership throughout the review
process, and notes with appreciation the consensus achieved on the nine thematic
areas and the rules identified for revision by the Expert Group at its previous
meetings;24
_______________
23 Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/47/40),
annex VI.B.
24 See E/CN.15/2015/17.
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