The United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 21 December 2010, is the first international instrument which provides specific and detailed guidelines on responding to the gender specific needs of women in the criminal justice system, as well as of children of such women.
The Government of Thailand, led by HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha, initiated and played a key role in the development, promotion and adoption of the Bangkok Rules. The establishment of the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) by the government of Thailand in 2011 was prompted by the adoption of the Bangkok Rules, the promotion and implementation of which will be central to its work programme. In addition, TIJ aims to serve as a centre of excellence for justice research for the ASEAN Community and beyond, while also contributing to the strengthening of the rule of law, in line with United Nations standards and norms, by supporting and facilitating reform in the fields of law enforcement, criminal justice, and corrections.
