Law enforcement officials are entrusted with a variety of powers for the purposes of enforcing law and maintaining order. Law enforcement work is often carried out under difficult and dangerous circumstances, and sometimes in situations where they cannot, and must not, avoid using force. Power under law enforcement comes with responsibility to ensure that this authority is exercised in accordance with established international human rights standards, and especially that any use of force is legal, proportionate and necessary in relation to the lawful law enforcement objective. It is imperative that the State ensures that national and local laws and regulations ensure that the legal framework for the use of force is in conformity with international standards.
To achieve effectiveness and public confidence, law enforcement officials need detailed guidelines and training on the use of force, and appropriate mechanisms for accountability must be in place. It is the responsibility of States to ensure that law enforcement officials are properly trained, sufficiently resourced and equipped to carry out the full range of law enforcement duties.
The OHCHR Guidance and Training package provides effective guidance and tools for developing training courses. The package has a dedicated chapter on human rights and the use of force and also on human rights and arrest, detention, and policing assemblies.
The UNODC-OHCHR Resource book on use of force and firearms for law enforcement book aims to support States in their efforts to develop and implement more effective, accountable and human rights-based law enforcement policies, training programmes and oversight mechanisms for use of force by law enforcement officials. It is intended for policy and lawmakers in particular, including those involved in the drafting of policies, regulations, Standard Operating Procedures and training materials on the use of force and firearms, as well as for stakeholders exercising control and oversight functions over law enforcement agencies.
The United Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement provides concise and user-friendly guidelines, outlining international norms and standards on the use of less-lethal weapons in a scenario-based, weapon-specific manner. The Guidance aims to provide direction on the lawful and responsible design, production, transfer, procurement, testing, training, deployment and use of less-lethal weapons and related equipment. It is addressed to States, law enforcement agencies, manufacturers, human rights bodies and mechanisms, private security companies, police oversight bodies and human rights defenders, and to individuals seeking to assert their right to a remedy for human rights violations. It is also intended to promote accountability for the design, production, testing, transfer, deployment and use of less-lethal weapons and related equipment.
