UN Advocates Adherence To Mandela’s Rules For Prisoners

By Victor Ernest with agency report

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called on member states to adhere to the UN minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rule).

UNODC’s National Coordinator, Sharon Nyambe, made the remarks ahead of the Nelson Mandela Day on July 18, 2017 and the Day of Prayer and Action for Prisoners on the 15th July.

The UNODC acts as the custodian of the international standards and norms related to the treatment of prisoners, including the Nelson Mandela Rules.

He expressed concern that prisoners in many countries continued to experience inhuman conditions, adding that time had come for states to provide conducive environments for inmates.

The rule

The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners were named after the South African icon that spent 27 years in prison, to honour his legacy.

Nyambe said it was the responsibility of member states to make a difference in the lives of prisoners following ongoing reforms in many countries.

Nyambe also said it was to ensure that prisons move from penal facilities to correctional facilities.

She noted that the ultimate purpose of imprisonment was undermined in prisons which were overstretched and poorly managed.