nelsonmandelarulesnews

Bremerhaven (Germany), September 2021 – During the 134^th session of the German Prison Council (Strafvollzugsausschuss), the Director Generals of the Prison and Probation Services of the Federal States of Germany unanimously recognized UNODC’s e-learning course on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, as a useful tool for the training of all German prison officers. Moreover, some states declared that the course will be integrated as mandatory part of their training curriculum for prison officers.

Upon the invitation of the State of Bremen, which currently is presiding the German Prison Council, UNODC provided an introduction to the Nelson Mandela Rules as the universally acknowledged minimum standard for humane and safe prison management and presented its scenario based e-learning course on the Rules, which has become UNODC’s most popular online course and received the 2019 Excellence Award from the International Corrections and Prison Association (ICPA) in the category of prison management and staff training.

With the support of the Government of Germany the e-learning course could be translated into German language in 2020, paving the way for its inclusion in training curricula for prison officers in the 16 German states. The unanimous decision of the German Prison Council will further strengthen the knowledge about the Nelson Mandela Rules at national level and will contribute to a more universal education of prison officers, with due consideration of the United Nations standards and norms.

At international level, Germany co-chairs, together with South Africa, the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules – an informal group of more than 30 like-minded Member States with a particular interest in promoting the practical application of the Nelson Mandela Rules and in supporting UNODC’s Global Programme on Addressing Prison Challenges.

United Nations

Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC’s e-learning course on the Nelson Mandela Rules will be included in German Prison Staff Training