NEWS RELEASES
CANADA LEADS IN DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DURING UN PEACE MISSIONS
August 6, 2002 (10:00 a.m. EDT) No. 91
CANADA LEADS IN DEVELOPING GUIDELINES FOR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
DURING UN PEACE MISSIONS
Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada has taken the lead in creating international
guidelines for humane and effective correctional services during UN peace support operations. The manual of guidelines,
which deals with the establishment and operation of prison systems during peacekeeping operations, was presented by
senior Canadian officials to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York. Minister Graham
encouraged the UN to implement the guidelines.
"Justice and the rule of law are fundamental requirements for safe and healthy societies and provide an essential dimension
to UN peace support operations," said Minister Graham. "During times of conflict, we cannot continue to detain criminals
in an ad hoc fashion. These guidelines serve as a practical base for the establishment of UN standard operating procedures."
The guidelines are intended to provide direction to corrections professionals and peacekeepers who are engaged in helping
a nation establish, re-establish, or reform its correctional system within the context of a UN peace operation. The manual
addresses eight major themes including, among others, local capacity building, good governance, professional judgment
and team cohesion.
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A backgrounder is attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
BACKGROUNDER
The idea to create the guidelines evolved primarily from the United Nations missions in Kosovo and East Timor where, for
the first time, corrections professionals were formally invited to participate in multi-disciplinary peacebuilding teams. What
was absent in both cases was a basic, authoritative and internationally agreed framework for correctional services. In April
2001, at the request of Canada, the International Corrections and Prisons Association for the Advancement of Professional
Corrections coordinated an international initiative to capture the learning achieved through those initial experiences in a
manual to guide future endeavours. The project was completed in 15 months following consultations with 35 countries,
NGOs and UN officials.
Purpose
UN peace missions and their mandates vary widely. While one may focus on the training of corrections personnel, another
more complex mission may require the complete re-establishment and management of a correctional system. Recognizing
this, the guidelines have been designed for optimal flexibility. They address the many questions a corrections professional
might first ask when asked to contribute, as well as respond to a number of the challenges and priorities that will emerge
during a peace operation.
The Guidelines
Eight major themes appear throughout the guidelines, emphasizing the importance of local capacity building, knowledge
and understanding, recruitment, good governance, professional judgment, shared learning, team synergy and professional
acumen. In addition to providing an overview of the UN legal framework and principles as they relate to peace operations,
the guidelines provide an introduction to International Norms and Standards for Criminal Justice and International
Humanitarian Law, and a conceptual framework for peace operations.
The guidelines provide a number of practical tools and advice for corrections professionals involved in a peace operation,
by examining issues of predeployment planning, the identification of priorities, and the actual operations of corrections
during a UN peace mission.
They present a number of standard operating procedures that are recognized as fundamental to most correctional systems
throughout the world. Adjustments can be made depending on the culture, the nature of the situation, the priorities at the
time, and the mandate of the mission. Suggestions for establishing accountability mechanisms and recruiting both
international and local staff are also included.
A number of annexes provide further reference tools, such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of
Prisoners, other international instruments, various tools such as checklists, and numerous publications and Web sites that
may be useful.
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