United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
A new set of Rules – the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’
A revised text of the Standard Minimum Rules was adopted by the UN Crime Commission on 22 May 2015, following consensus on new text reached by the fourth Intergovernmental Expert Group Meeting in Cape Town in March 2015.
On 5 November 2015, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution ‘United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules)’. The revised Rules are to be known as the ‘Nelson Mandela Rules’* to “honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, Mr. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who who spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle for global human rights, equality, democracy and the promotion of a culture of peace.” *Note: At the Third Committee a technical correction was accepted to call the rules ‘the Nelson Mandela Rules’.
It is expected that the plenary of the UN General Assembly will adopt the Rules at the end of 2015.