© UN Photo/Victoria Hazou
It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.
A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.- Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela Rules
Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle. Throughout his life he advocated for the fair and humane treatment of all, including prisoners.
In December 2015, following a revision process of more than five years, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the . It also approved that the rules should be known as the "Nelson Mandela Rules" in order to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa.
The General Assembly also decided to extend the scope of Nelson Mandela International Day to be utilized in order to promote humane conditions of imprisonment, raise awareness about prisoners being a continuous part of society, and to value the work of prison staff as a social service of particular importance.
As custodian of the Nelson Mandela Rules, each year the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime undertakes a global awareness raising campaign on the theme #PrisonersMatter.
#PrisonersMatter: raise your voice for the Nelson Mandela Rules
The treatment of prisoners matters. It matters because it impacts all of us – but above all it matters because prisoners are human beings. On Nelson Mandela International Day, join the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to call for the universal practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules – because prisoners matter.
What are the Nelson Mandela Rules?
represent the universally acknowledged blueprint for prison management in the 21st century. They outline minimum prison conditions, provide guidance, and set clear benchmarks for prison staff on how to uphold safety, security and human dignity.
1955
First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime & the Treatment of Offenders
The (PDF 
), originally adopted by the First UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1955, constitute the universally acknowledged minimum standards for the management of prison facilities and the treatment of prisoners, and have been of tremendous value and influence in the development of prison laws, policies and practices in Member States all over the world.
2011
Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Group
In recognition of the advances in international law and correctional science since 1955, however, the General Assembly decided, in 2011, to establish an open-ended intergovernmental Expert Group to review and possibly revise the rules. Relevant UN bodies, other international and regional organisations, as well as civil society were invited to contribute to the process. As the custodian of the Standard Minimum Rules, the? (UNODC) closely accompanied the revision process by serving as its Secretariat.
2015
Commission on Crime Prevention & Criminal Justice (CCPCJ)
At its fourth meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa, in March 2015, the Expert Group reached consensus on all of the rules opened for revision. In May 2015, the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) endorsed the revised rules and submitted the entire set of the revised SMRs for approval by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and subsequent adoption by the General Assembly.
2015
The Nelson Mandela Rules
In December 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the revised rules as the “”. As per the recommendation of the Expert Group, the revised rules are to be known as "the Nelson Mandela Rules" to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 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.
©UNODC Infographic
Additional resources:
The Nelson Mandela Rules
- UNODC Infographic: "The Nelson Mandela Rules" (PDF )
- (PDF )
- (PDF )
- UN News —
The Nelson Mandela Rules: Five facts
The Nelson Mandela Rules
General Assembly resolution adopts the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
and approves that they should be known as the "Nelson Mandela Rules" in honour of the legacy of the late President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.