A/RES/73/177 Human rights in the administration of justice 16. Urges States to endeavour to reduce, where appropriate, pretrial detention, which should be a measure of last resort and for as short a period as possible, inter alia, by adopting legislative and administrative measures and policies on its preconditions, limitations, duration and alternatives and by taking measures aimed at the implementation of existing legislation, as well as by ensuring access to justice and legal advice and assistance, which could include legal aid schemes; 17. Encourages States to address overcrowding in detention facilities by taking effective measures, including through enhancing the availability and use of alternatives to pretrial detention and custodial sentences, bearing in mind the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-custodial Measures (the Tokyo Rules) 24 and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Priso ners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules), 25 access to legal aid, mechanisms for crime prevention, early release and rehabilitation programmes and the efficiency as well as the capacity of the criminal justice system and its facilities, bearing in mind the United Nations Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid in Criminal Justice Systems; 26 18. Urges States to take all necessary measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination in law and in practice against persons who are in vulnerable situations or marginalized in the administration of justice that may also result in their overincarceration and overrepresentation throughout the criminal justice process; 19. Also urges States to pay special attention to the conditions of detention or imprisonment of persons who are in vulnerable situations or marginalized and to their particular needs; 20. Continues to encourage States to pay due attention to the Bangkok Rules when developing and implementing relevant legislation, pr ocedures, policies and action plans, and invites relevant special procedure mandate holders, the Office of the High Commissioner, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and all other relevant organizations to take those rules into consideration in th eir activities; 21. Encourages States to review penal policies that can contribute to overincarceration and overcrowding, in particular regarding so -called “zero-tolerance policies”, such as the application of mandatory pretrial detention and mandatory minimum sentences especially for minor and/or non-violent crimes; 22. Recognizes that all children and juveniles alleged as, accused of or recognized as having infringed the law, particularly those who are deprived of their liberty, as well as child victims and witnesses of crimes, should be treated in a manner consistent with their rights, dignity and needs, in accordance with international law, bearing in mind relevant international standards on human rights in the administration of justice, taking into account also the age, gender, social circumstances and development needs of such children, and calls upon States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child 7 and States parties to the Optional Protocols to the Convention 27 to abide strictly by their principles and respective provisions; 23. Reiterates the importance of the United Nations Model Strategies and Practical Measures on the Elimination of Violence against Children in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, 28 and urges States to consider applying them, as appropriate, in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of laws, policies, programmes, budgets and mechanisms aimed at eliminating violence against __________________ 24 25 26 27 28 6/9 Resolution 45/110, annex. Resolution 65/229, annex. Resolution 67/187, annex. United Nations, Treaty Series, vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531; and resolution 66/138, annex. Resolution 69/194, annex. 18-22273