Director-General/Executive Director
Distinguished Co-Chair,
Distinguished panellists,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to address the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules.
I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Ambassador of Thailand on her accession as Co-Chair of the Group of Friends, joining the Ambassadors of Germany and of South Africa in leading this important Group.
And I would like to thank the Group and its Co-Chairs for inviting me to take part in today’s meeting, as we celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day, a decade after his passing.
As the UN Secretary-General emphasized, the best way to honour Mandela’s life is by taking action, for justice and a better world.
And that is exactly what this Group of Friends is doing.
Your work to promote the Mandela Rules helps to keep alive an important part of Madiba’s legacy, while pursing shared global aspirations.
Effective and humane prisons are core components of justice, the rule of law, and consequently the Sustainable Development Goals.
And your meeting today focuses on a timely topic: the impact of climate change and related disruptions on prison and offender management.
Today, our world is staring down the barrel of climate disaster, and the most severe consequences will affect the most vulnerable.
That certainly includes prisoners, whose plight is too often forgotten.
Those who are in prisons often have no escape from increasingly extreme weather conditions and natural hazards, and they are also deeply affected by related disruptions such as price shocks and food and energy shortages.
In the eyes of many people, prisons may seem low on the list of priorities during crisis.
But prisoners matter.
Prisons around the world are home to 11.2 million people, a significant population, and one that has rights and needs.
A closer look at this population reveals that most of them come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
As we look to Mandela’s legacy for guidance, we must stand for human dignity everywhere and for everyone, starting where it is most at risk.
Excellencies,
The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us that we need to address long-standing issues that leave prison systems vulnerable to crises.
As we face worsening climate change and emerging challenges, we need to learn the lessons of the pandemic, and be better prepared.
One of the most urgent issues to address is prison overcrowding.
UNODC’s new “Data Matters” brief on the global prison population and related trends, launched today, indicates that out of all reporting countries, almost half are operating prisons over 100 percent capacity.
Overall, the global prison population has increased by 17 percent since the start of the 21st century, and it has started rising again after a brief decline during the pandemic.
Member States need to take a more serious look at enhanced, more systematic use of non-custodial measures, including for petty or non-violent crimes, and for minor drug offences.
Member States should also double their efforts to minimize pre-trial detention.
The number of unsentenced prisoners has increased in recent years, both as a total and as a share of the global prison population, reaching 3.5 million prisoners and raising concerns about deficiencies in access to justice.
By making sure that no one is deprived of their liberty unless it is absolutely necessary, we support justice, and we ease the burden on prison systems.
It is also important to note that the number of women in prisons has increased at a much faster rate than men over the last two decades.
While most prisoners remain men, the number of women has risen by 35 percent in the past 20 years. In comparison, the number of men has increased by 16 percent.
The share of women held in prison without a sentence also appears to be increasing at a faster rate than men in recent years.
These numbers warrant further attention to understand the underlying factors, particularly as women continue to face specific vulnerabilities and inequalities.
Improving prison conditions is another major priority.
Too many prisoners continue to be deprived of basic human needs, and in some cases even face severe malnutrition or impaired access to life-sustaining services.
State authorities must ensure that all basic needs are met in prisons, and that the specific needs of women and girls are accounted for.
This is a moral obligation, and it is necessary to build the resilience of prisons to crises.
And finally, prisons must be better integrated into climate adaptation measures and disaster mitigation plans, and they need to have their own contingency plans in place for emergencies.
Excellencies,
UNODC stands with Member States in building more effective, humane, and resilient prison systems.
In 2022, UNODC provided technical assistance to 43 Member States on the use of non-custodial measures, and on safe, secure, and humane custody.
We helped to improve prison infrastructure and conditions in 16 countries and supported 20 prison administrations to adopt a more rehabilitative approach to offender management.
We are also providing specific assistance to prison systems to address the challenges posed by climate change and related disruptions.
In Indonesia, we supported the development of standard operating procedures on disaster mitigation for corrections facilities.
In Nigeria, we engaged in extensive refurbishment and procurement to ensure continued energy and water supplies in two prisons.
And in Pakistan, we helped to install solar energy systems in five prisons, with Kenya expected to benefit from similar support this year.
Following successful precedents in Namibia and Sri Lanka, our Office is now preparing to support food security in prisons in Ghana, by investing in sustainable farming projects, to produce food and to provide vocational training opportunities for prisoners.
Looking forward, we will continue to work with the Group of Friends and with all Member States, to ensure that the Nelson Mandela Rules provide the benchmark for the treatment of prisoners around the world, and that prisons are ready to face climate disruptions.
We are also striving for stronger partnerships on prison and offender management.
I’m happy to note that I have just signed two Memoranda of Understanding, one with the International Corrections and Prisons Association, and one with the Confederation of European Probation.
To step up our work, we need the support of our Member States.
We need your voices to make sure that prisons are included and accounted for in global climate action.
And we need you to provide funding for our efforts to enhance the climate change resilience of prison systems, and to convene expertise on this topic.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Nelson Mandela’s convictions shone brightest in the darkest of times.
Even ten years after his passing, they still shine through, illuminating our path in these difficult times.
The core of his message was simple: every human being is equal in rights and in dignity.
Let us honour the man, his legacy, and the Rules that carry his name, by ensuring that the people in our prisons can withstand the challenges of our times, with their rights and their dignity preserved.
Thank you.