ICCPR Recommendations 2024, paragraph 33
Plain English recommendation
Government should, in line with the Human Rights Committee’s general comment No.36 (2018):
(a) Make sure that laws and procedures covering the use of force and firearms by police officers are in line with the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement;
(b) Set clear rules to stop the use of tasers on vulnerable groups, including children and disabled people. Prohibit their use against vulnerable groups except in only the most extreme circumstances;
(c) Increase efforts to tackle systemic racism and racial and ethnic discrimination in policing, including taser use.
Original UN recommendation
Bearing in mind the Committee’s general comment No. 36 (2018), the State party should:
(a) Ensure that the domestic legislation and operational procedures governing the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials are in full conformity with the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement;
(b) Provide clear procedures to prevent the use of tasers on vulnerable groups such as children and persons with disabilities, prohibiting their use against such groups in all but the most extreme circumstances;
(c) Strengthen its efforts to address systemic racism and racial and ethnic discrimination in policing and law enforcement, including in the use of tasers.
Date of UN examination
03/05/2024
Original UN document
Download the original ICCPR concluding observations 2024 on the UN website.
Last updated on 11/04/2025