The 20th Session of the
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice met in Vienna in mid April. The
priority theme was child protection and the internet, but women and criminal
justice was also up for discussion with several important side events organised
to explore the issue further. Here are the main points relating to women and
criminal justice from our SI UN Representatives, Roswitha Benesch and Dora Vrdlovec.
Bangkok Rules on Women Prisoners
High-ranking Thai officials and a representative of
the Quaker UN Office from Geneva invited NGOs to a very important Side Event on
the “Bangkok Rules on Women Prisoners – and Beyond”
(Treatment of Women Prisoners and Noncustodial Measures for Women Offenders, adopted
by the UN General Assembly on 21 December 2010).
The majority of women
prisoners usually come from socially disadvantaged communities and
groups. In some societies women have less access to
education than men and have fewer legal rights. This
may be reflected in particular vulnerability to being deprived of their
liberty, for reasons including lack of information on rights and options.
The Bangkok Rules recognise that female prisoners
have significantly different needs to their male counterparts. Among other
issues they cover such demands as security risk assessments and the provision
of gender-specific health care services. Visit the following link for more
information: http://www.quno.org/humanrights/women-in-prison/womenPrisonLinks.htm
SI delivered a statement on the Bangkok Rules asking for their immediate implementations.
The Statement can be read here.
Penal
Reform International supported a session led by the Quakers on a similar topic. Since 2003, The Friends World Committee for Consultation
(Quakers) has been highlighting issues related to the specific needs and rights
of women prisoners and children of incarcerated parents.
International Crime Prevention – Trafficking
The main
agenda item relating to women and criminal justice looked at the integration and coordination of efforts by
the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and by member states in the field of
crime prevention and criminal justice.
Disappointingly,
it was noted that “the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime and
the Protocols hereto (dealing with Trafficking of Human beings, especially
women and children) has still not been ratified or acceded by all Member States”.
This means that a far reaching, coordinated global approach to trafficking is
still some way off.
In
Resolution 20/4 States Parties are encouraged to fully implement these treaties
which seek to work against trafficking and other forms of transnational organized
crime. It also requests UNODC to study new forms and dimensions of
transnational organized crime and to analyse new and emerging challenges, in
order to support evidence-based policy guidance.
“Recognizing that transnational organized crime has diversified
globally and represents a threat to health and safety, security, good
governance and the sustainable development of Member States,
Emphasizing that all States have a shared
responsibility to take steps to counter the threat of transnational organized
crime, including through international cooperation and in cooperation with
relevant institutions such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 65/232 of 21
December 2010, entitled “Strengthening the United Nations crime prevention and
criminal justice programme, in particular its technical cooperation capacity”,
in which the Assembly expressed its grave concern at the negative effects of
transnational organized crime, including smuggling of and trafficking in human
beings, narcotic drugs and small arms and light weapons, on development, peace
and security and human rights, and at the increasing vulnerability of States to
such crime,
The
resolution also requests that:
“the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime to continue to provide support to the Conference and
its working groups, including the Working Group on Trafficking in Persons and
the Working Group on the Smuggling of Migrants in their work related to the
implementation of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the Smuggling of
Migrants Protocol”
Member
States were also urged to contribute to the “full and effective implementation of the
Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons” (GA resolution 64/293).
(Resolution 20/3).
To read the full report from the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which includes detail on the main theme of Child Protection and the Internet, click here.
To find out more about women and criminal justice, visit the May Monthly Focus File!