UN Sponsors New Guidelines For More Effective And Honest Justice Systems
New York, Dec 5 2006 1:00PM
The United Nations crime-fighting agency and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have
launched a series of guidelines to help countries make their criminal justice systems more effective and honest as a
vital element for the maintenance of stable and democratic societies.
“To prevent conflict or build peace over the long term, you need a professional and honest police force, people who can
perform intelligence-led investigations, a competent prosecution service, a fair judiciary and a humane prison system,”
UN Office on Drugs and Crime (<" http://www.unodc.org/unodc/press_release_2006_12_04.html">U῎ODC) Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa told the OSCE Ministerial Council in Brussels yesterday.
The so-called Criminal Justice Assessment Toolkit is designed to help practitioners reform their own criminal justice
systems, bringing them into line with international standards. It will also enable advisers from the UN and other bodies
to conduct assessments of the justice systems in individual countries and identify areas for appropriate technical
assistance.
Written by a team of UN and OSCE experts, it covers policing, access to justice, prison and alternatives to
incarceration, and other issues such as juvenile justice and the treatment of victims and witnesses. Divided into 16
modules, it provides detailed and comprehensive guidance for practitioners.
Mr. Costa stressed that building an effective system takes time, training and resources. “I am proud to present this
toolkit, developed by both our organizations, which will be a practical resource for those involved in the
administration of justice and which can evolve in line with their needs,” he said.
“At a time of so much instability and conflict in the world, we hope that such tools can help build or repair criminal
justice systems to ensure that they provide security and justice for all,” he added.
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, said the tools were designed to be widely applicable.
“I am convinced the tools will make a difference for the people doing rule of law work on the ground, within the OSCE
but also beyond,” he said.
Ends