A/RES/71/188 Human rights in the administration of justice Reaffirming that the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration in all actions concerning the child in the administration of justice, including in relation to pretrial measures, as well as being an important consideration in all matters concerning the child related to sentencing of his or her parents, or, where applicable, legal guardians or primary caregivers, 1. Takes note with appreciation of the most recent report of the SecretaryGeneral on human rights in the administration of justice; 19 2. Also takes note with appreciation of the reports of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the protection of human rights of juveniles deprived of their liberty, 20 on access to justice for children 21 and on the human rights implications of overincarceration and overcrowding 22 and the joint report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children on prevention of and responses to violence against children within the juvenile justice system, 23 submitted to the Human Rights Council; 3. Reaffirms the importance of the full and effective implementation of all United Nations standards on human rights in the administration of justice, and invites States to assess their national legislation and practice against those standards; 4. Invites States to make use of technical assistance offered by the relevant United Nations entities and programmes in order to strengthen n ational capacities and infrastructures in the field of the administration of justice; 5. Appeals to Governments to include, in their national development plans, the effective administration of justice and equal access to justice as an integral part of the development process, with a view to promoting and protecting human rights, and to allocate adequate resources for the provision of legal aid services, and invites the international community to respond favourably to requests for financial and technical assistance for the enhancement and strengthening of the administration of justice; 6. Stresses the special need for national capacity-building in the field of the administration of justice, in particular through reform of the judiciary, the police and the penal system, as well as juvenile justice reform, and through the encouragement of independence, accountability and transparency in the judiciary, in order to establish and maintain stable societies and the rule of law in post -conflict situations, and welcomes the role of the Office of the High Commissioner in supporting the establishment and functioning of transitional justice mechanisms in post -conflict situations; 7. Reaffirms that no one should be unlawfully or arbitrarily deprived of his or her liberty, and notes the principles of necessity and proportionality in this regard; _______________ 19 A/71/405. A/HRC/21/26. 21 A/HRC/25/35 and Add.1 and A/HRC/27/25. 22 A/HRC/30/19. 23 A/HRC/21/25. 20 4/8