Recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:
1
Notes with appreciation the further progress made during the third meeting of the open-ended intergovernmental Expert Group on the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, held in Vienna from 25 to 28 March 2014;22
Expresses its gratitude to the Government of Brazil for its financial support for the third meeting of the Expert Group;
3
Acknowledges the work done by the Expert Group at its previous meetings, held in Vienna from 31 January to 2 February 201223 and in Buenos Aires from 11 to 13 December 2012;24
Also acknowledges the work accomplished by the Secretariat in preparing the relevant documentation, in particular the working paper for the third meeting,25 as well as the determined progress achieved at the meetings of the Expert Group in reviewing the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners;Error: Reference source not found
Expresses appreciation for the important submissions and suggestions of Member States pursuant to the request to exchange information on best practices and on the revision of the existing Standard Minimum Rules, as reflected in the working paper submitted to the Expert Group at its third meeting;
6
Reiterates that any changes to the Standard Minimum Rules should not lower any of the existing standards, but should reflect the recent advances in correctional science and good practices so as to promote safety, security and humane conditions for prisoners;
7
Recognizes the need for the Expert Group to continue to take into account the social, legal and cultural specificities, as well as human rights obligations, of Member States;
8
Notes that the revision process should maintain the existing scope of application of the Standard Minimum Rules;
9
Acknowledges with appreciation the important contributions received from the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,26 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as other submissions received for consideration from a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and invites them in this regard to continue to be actively involved in the Expert Group process, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council;
Acknowledges that the revision of the Standard Minimum Rules is a time-intensive exercise of crucial importance, emphasizes that efforts should be made to finalize the revision process, building on the recommendations made at the three meetings of the Expert Group and the submissions of Member States, for consideration at the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, to be held in Doha in 2015, and also emphasizes that the concern for a speedy process should not compromise the quality of the outcome;
11
Decides to extend the mandate of the Expert Group, authorizing it to continue its work, with the aim of reaching a consensus, and to present a report to the Thirteenth Congress, for the information of the workshop on the role of the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice in support of effective, fair, humane and accountable criminal justice systems, and to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its twenty-fourth session for consideration, and requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the required services and support are provided;
12
Invitesthe bureau of the third meeting of the Expert Group to continue to be involved in the revision of the rules by preparing, with the assistance of the Secretariat, a revised consolidated working paper, in all official languages of the United Nations, consisting of the draft revised rules, which should reflect the progress achieved so far, including the recommendations made by the Expert Group at its meetings held in Buenos Aires in 2012 and in Vienna in 2014, taking also into account proposals for revision put forward by Member States in relation to the areas and rules identified by the General Assembly in paragraph 6 of its resolution 67/188, for submission to and consideration by the Expert Group at its next meeting;
13
Expresses its gratitude to the Government of South Africa for its intention to host the next meeting of the Expert Group, and welcomes any support, in particular financial support, that other interested countries and organizations may wish to provide;
14
InvitesMember States to actively participate in the next meeting of the Expert Group and to include in their delegations persons with a variety of expertise from relevant disciplines;
15
EncouragesMember States to improve conditions in detention, consistent with the principles of the Standard Minimum Rules and all other relevant and applicable international standards and norms, to continue exchanging good practices, such as those regarding conflict resolution in detention facilities, including in the area of technical assistance, to identify challenges faced in implementing the Rules and share their experiences in dealing with those challenges, and to provide relevant information in that regard to their experts participating in the Expert Group;
16
Also encouragesMember States to promote the implementation of the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules),Error: Reference source not found as well as the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty;Error: Reference source not found
17
Recommendsthat 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 reintegration programmes, in accordance with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules);Error: Reference source not found
18
Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General 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;
19
Reaffirms the important role of the United Nations crime prevention and criminal justice programme network and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council in contributing to the dissemination, promotion and practical application of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, in accordance with the procedures for their effective implementation;Error: Reference source not found
20
InvitesMember States and other donors to provide extrabudgetary resources for the purposes outlined in the present resolution, in accordance with the rules and procedures of the United Nations.
