Standards and Norms

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) formulates and promotes internationally recognized principles in such areas as independence of the judiciary, protection of victims, alternatives to imprisonment, treatment of prisoners, police use of force, mutual legal assistance and extradition. More than 100 countries worldwide have relied on these standards in writing their national laws and policies in crime prevention and criminal justice, leading to a common foundation for fighting international crime while respecting human rights and the needs of individuals.

Expert Group Meeting on "Violence against women: Good practices in combating and eliminating violence against women" Vienna, 17-20 May 2005

Intergovernmental Expert Group to develop guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime, Vienna, 15 and 16 March 2005

Seventh survey on capital punishment and on the implementation of the safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty, covering the period 1999-2003

Handbooks and manuals on the United Nations standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice.

United Nations Rules:

• United Nations Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
• United Nations Rules, pdf
• Compendium of United Nations Standards and Norms in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, pdf
• Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
• Declaration against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Use and Application of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms
• Safeguards Guaranteeing Protection of the Rights of those Facing the Death Penalty
• Annex to Resolution on Measures Against International Terrorism
• Guidelines for the Prevention of Crime

Relevant Documents of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power

The International Victimology Website (IVW) is an information resource created to promote implementation of the United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (1985). UNODC, the World Society of Victimology, the International Victimology Institute Tilburg (INTERVICT), and the other project stakeholders aim to advance use and application of the Declaration by providing materials to support victim-related research, policy, and programme development worldwide. The website provides access to (1) key international, regional and national instruments, (2) victim-related policy, victimology evidence and expertise, (3) information about study and research opportunities in victimology and allied fields, (4) related websites, (5) a newsflash service, events calendar and more. Although English is the principal language of this website, many materials are available in other languages. 

Monitoring of Standards -- The Example of Juvenile Justice

UNODC works to promote and disseminate the large body of existing standards and norms and monitor their use and application. This is done through advisory services and technical assistance, training seminars and expert group meetings. UNODC also works closely with the entities comprising the Untied Nations Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Programme network, in particular the interregional and regional institutes. Monitoring the use and application of UN crime prevention and criminal justice standards is one of the functions of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and is done using reports based on questionnaires sent to Member States.

An in-depth study carried out by the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg, Germany, in 2001 analyses the practical relevance of standards and norms in the area of juvenile justice. The empirical study concentrates on South Africa and focuses on the implementation of the Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty and Art. 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. About 400 correctional officers and 800 children participated in the survey. Collaboration between the Max Planck Institute and UNODC in research matters is based on a memorandum of understanding.