duties and guiding principles of ethical police conduct in democracies; the use of force and firearms in law
enforcement; the crime of torture; effective methods of legal and ethical interviewing; human rights during arrest
and pre- trial detention; and the legal status and rights of the accused. A Manual on Human Rights and Law
Enforcement is available.
Course topics for prison officials include: minimum standards for facilities for prisoners and detainees; prison
health issues, including AIDS and the HIV virus; and special categories of prisoners and detainees, including
juveniles and women. A Handbook on Human Rights and Pre-trial Detention is avail- able.
This approach to professional training for human rights in the administration of justice is subject to in-field
testing by OHCHR in its technical cooperation activities in a number of countries, and has undergone a series of
revisions on the basis of such experience.
Other forms of assistance in the area of the administration of justice include assistance in the development of
guidelines, procedures and regulations con- sistent with international standards.
Assistance in drafting legislation
The United Nations makes the services of international experts and special- ized staff available to assist
Governments in the reform of their domestic leg- islation which has a clear impact on the situation of human rights
and fundamental freedoms. The goal is to bring such laws into conformity with international standards, as
identified in United Nations and regional human rights instruments. Drafts provided by a Government requesting such
assis- tance are reviewed and recommendations are subsequently made. This pro- gramme component also includes
assistance with respect to penal codes, codes of criminal procedure, prison regulations, laws regarding minority
pro- tection, laws affecting freedom of expression, association and assembly, immigration and nationality laws,
laws on the judiciary and legal practice, security legislation, and, in general, any law which might have an impact
directly, or indirectly, on the realization of internationally protected human rights.
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