3.2. Ms. Shivani Verma, Human Rights Officer, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Regional Office for Southeast Asia, Bangkok expressed her thought and support for prison reform based on the human rights perspective. According to her, recent years had seen measures to develop and to improve human rights standards around the world. Many actors have been working with great effort and energy to advocate and to promote for the rights of those who receive only parts of their rights such as prisoners. Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 1948 does not specifically refer to prisoners as the beneficiary of the rights49 but subsequent human rights covenants50 and instruments which deal with prisoners, prison management and conditions of detention do provide a valuable insight and compliment the principles contained in the legal treaties that are the international covenants. This includes the 1995 Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners as an important start. In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted expanded rules which is known as the Nelson Mandela Rules in honor of arguably the most celebrated prisoner of the 20th century. The Mandela Rules provide states with detailed guidelines to treat all prisoners with respect for their inherent dignity and value as human beings, prohibit torture and all forms of degrading treatment and offer detailed guidance on a variety of issues ranging from disciplinary measures to medical services. These rules have been employed as a blueprint for the drafting of national prison rules globally. There is also the UN Standard Minimum Rules on Non-Custodial Measures (Tokyo Rules) which outlines a set of principles to promote the use of non-custodial measures and sanctions, as well as minimum safeguards for person subject to alternatives of imprisonment. The minimum requirements contained in the Nelson Mandela Rules and Tokyo Rules are more relevant today than ever. It is estimated that there are well over 10 million prisoners worldwide, excluding people detained by the police or detained in administrative detentions where there has been no formal decision to charge or to prosecute. The number of persons serving life sentences has increased. Global trends also show no decline in prison violence worldwide with little guarantee of a safe and secure environment for many prisoners. In light of these concerns, OHCHR will closely work with the national human rights institutions (NHRI), civil society organisations (CSO), lawyers and legal aid agencies to ensure the implementation of human rights norms and standards at the national level, primarily through technical cooperation programs, advisory services, inspection visits and assistance programs. OHCHR supports States’ efforts to improve the prison conditions including the inspection visits to prisons and places of detention, monitoring the condition of the detention, and reviewing the legal basis of detention. 49 However, the rights laid out in UDHR 1948 implicitly covered prisoners such as prohibition to torture, the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence. 50 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR) contain references to the treatment of people deprived of liberty. 27