New rules to help improve the treatment of prisoners around the world, were formally presented at United Nations headquarters on Wednesday.
The updated standards – also known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules” - outline standard minimum treatment practices for those who are incarcerated.
The Secretary General’s representative said they should be seen as a “work in progress”.
The rules – named after the former South African president, Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in jail – are likely to be adopted by the UN General Assembly later this year.
They are not legally-binding on member states, but the rules have not been revised since their original adoption at the UN in the 1950s.
Matthew Wells reports.
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