A/HRC/18/2
of law in post-conflict situations, through reform of the judiciary, the police and the penal
system, as well as juvenile justice reform;
6.
Invites Governments to provide for training, including anti-racist,
multicultural and gender-sensitive and child rights training, in human rights in the
administration of justice, including juvenile justice, for all judges, lawyers, prosecutors,
social workers, immigration, correction officers and police officers and other professionals
working in the field of administration of justice;
7.
Encourages States to pay due attention to the United Nations Rules for the
Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders when
developing and implementing relevant legislation, procedures, policies and practices, and
invites relevant special procedures mandate holders, the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and all
other relevant organizations to take these rules into consideration in their activities;
8.
Recognizes that every child and juvenile in conflict with the law must be
treated in a manner consistent with his or her rights, dignity and needs, in accordance with
international law, bearing in mind relevant international standards on human rights in the
administration of justice, and calls on States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the
Child to abide strictly by its principles and provisions;
9.
Encourages States that have not yet integrated children’s issues in their
overall rule of law efforts to do so, and to develop and implement a comprehensive juvenile
justice policy to prevent and address juvenile delinquency as well as with a view to
promoting, inter alia, the use of alternative measures, such as diversion and restorative
justice, and ensuring compliance with the principle that deprivation of liberty of children
should only be used as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of
time, as well as to avoid, wherever possible, the use of pretrial detention for children;
10.
Encourages States to foster close cooperation between the justice sectors,
different services in charge of law enforcement, social welfare and education sectors in
order to promote the use and improved application of alternative measures in juvenile
justice;
11.
Stresses the importance of including rehabilitation and reintegration
strategies for former child offenders in juvenile justice policies, in particular through
education programmes, with a view to their assuming a constructive role in society;
12.
Encourages States not to set the minimum age of criminal responsibility at
too low an age level, bearing in mind the emotional, mental and intellectual maturity of the
child, and, in this respect, refers to the recommendation of the Committee of the Rights of
the Child to increase their lower minimum age of criminal responsibility without exception
to the age of 12 years as the absolute minimum age, and to continue to increase it to a
higher age level;
13.
Urges States to ensure that, under their legislation and practice, neither
capital punishment nor life imprisonment without the possibility of release is imposed for
offences committed by persons under 18 years of age;
14.
Calls upon States to enact or review legislation to ensure that any conduct not
considered a criminal offence or not penalized if committed by an adult is not considered a
criminal offence and not penalized if committed by a child, in order to prevent the child’s
stigmatization, victimization and criminalization;
15.
Urges States to take all appropriate measures so that children who are victims
of human trafficking are not subject to criminal sanctions for their involvement in unlawful
GE.12-17756
37
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents