24 May 1990

13th Plenary Meeting

1990/22. Victims of crime and abuse of power

The Economic and Social Council,

Bearing in mind General Assembly resolution 40/34 of 29 November 1985, in which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, approved by the Seventh United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,

Recalling that in the same resolution the General Assembly called upon Member States and other entities to take the necessary steps to give effect to the provisions contained in the Declaration and to curtail victimization,

Taking into account Economic and Social Council resolution 1989/57 of 24 May 1989 on the implementation of the Declaration,

Bearing in mind the recommendations of the preparatory meetings for the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders,

Having considered the Guide for Practitioners on the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power,

Recognizing the need for continuing efforts to give effect to the Declaration, and to adapt it to meet the full range of needs and the circumstances of different countries,

Recognizing, in particular, the need to look beyond national measures in some instances, especially where victims of transnational crimes and abuse of power are concerned,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power;

2. Requests the Secretary-General, together with all the entities of the United Nations system and other appropriate organizations, to undertake and co-ordinate the necessary action, with a humanitarian objective, to prevent and curtail severe victimization where national means of recourse are insufficient, and:

(a) To monitor the situation;

(b) To develop and institute means of conflict resolution and mediation;

(c) To promote access to justice and redress for victims;

(d) To assist in providing material, medical and psycho-social assistance to victims and/or their families;

3. Invites the United Nations regional and interregional institutes to provide mechanisms for the development and international co-ordination of services for victims, and to promote the collection, collation and exchange of information and ideas in order to improve standards for the treatment of victims;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to devote attention to policy and research on the situation of victims of crime and abuse of power and to the effective implementation of General Assembly resolution 40/34;

5. Recommends that Member States and the United Nations regional and interregional institutes take the necessary steps to provide professional and other persons dealing with victims with suitable training in issues concerning victims, taking into account the model training curricula developed for this purpose;

6. Invites the United Nations funding agencies, especially the United Nations Development Programme and the Department of Technical Co-operation for Development of the Secretariat, to support technical co-operation programmes for the establishment of services for victims;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to further develop international means of recourse and redress for victims where national channels may be insufficient and to report to the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, at its twelfth session, on the development of such means;

8. Requests the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities to take into account, in his study of compensation to victims of gross violations of human rights, the relevant work and recommendations of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Control;

9. Invites the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders to recommend wide distribution of the Guide for Practitioners on the Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power and the Measures for Implementation of the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, submitted by a committee of experts that met at the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences, Syracuse, Italy, in May 1986.