A/RES/70/175
United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
10. Invites the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to
consider, at its upcoming sessions, reconvening the open-ended intergovernmental
Expert Group on the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners for
the purpose of identifying the lessons learned, the means to continue to exchange
good practices and the challenges faced in the implementation of the Nelson
Mandela Rules;
11. Encourages Member States to promote the implementation of the United
Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty14 and the
United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial
Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules);15
12. Recommends that Member States continue to endeavour to reduce prison
overcrowding and, where appropriate, resort to non-custodial measures as
alternatives to pretrial detention, to promote increased access to justice and legal
defence mechanisms, to reinforce alternatives to imprisonment and to support
rehabilitation and social reintegration programmes, in accordance with the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules);10
13. Notes the importance of a voluntary exchange of experiences and good
practices among Member States and with relevant international entities, where
appropriate, and the provision of technical assistance to Member States, for the
improved implementation of the Nelson Mandela Rules, upon their request;
14. Encourages Member States to consider allocating adequate human and
financial resources to assist in the improvement of prison conditions and the
application of the Nelson Mandela Rules;
15. Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to ensure broad
dissemination of the Nelson Mandela Rules, to design guidance material and to
provide technical assistance and advisory services to Member States in the field of
penal reform, in order to develop or strengthen penitentiary legislation, procedures,
policies and practices in line with the Rules;
16. Commends the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
for its continuing contributions to the improvement of the administration of justice
through the development and refinement of international standards and norms in the
field of crime prevention and criminal justice, and calls upon Member States to
continue their efforts in this regard;
17. Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to
promote the use and application of the United Nations standards and norms in crime
prevention and criminal justice by, inter alia, providing advisory services and
technical assistance to Member States, on request, including assistance in crime
prevention, criminal justice and law reform, and in the organization of training for
law enforcement, crime prevention and criminal justice personnel and support in the
administration and management of penal and penitentiary systems, thus contributing
to the upgrading of their efficiency and capabilities;
18. Invites Member States and other donors to provide extrabudgetary
resources for the purposes described above, in accordance with the rules and
procedures of the United Nations;
19. Affirms the important role of the United Nations crime prevention and
criminal justice programme network, intergovernmental organizations and
non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and
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