The Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials was adopted by the Eight United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders and was welcomed by the General Assembly of the UN in resolution 45/166 in 1990. As such, it is not legally binding for the Member States, but rather seeks to further clarify aspects of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and provide guidelines that it encourages States to adopt and implement.
Goal: The goal of the Basic Principles is to “…assist Member States in their task of ensuring and promoting the proper role of law enforcement officials…” and to provide more detail concerning Article 3 of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, which handles the use of force by law enforcement officials.
