Standards have been developed for the treatment of prisoners and for the conduct of law enforcement officials, and international initiatives are underway to implement these standards and to identify obstacles to implementation. Newly adopted standards consider safeguards with respect to capital punishment. Additional standards are being formulated in the areas of transfer and treatment of foreign prisoners, independence of the judiciary, and the administration of juvenile justice. It is hoped that these new guidelines will be adopted at the 1985 United Nations Congress. Areas of interest for the development of new standards include alternatives to imprisonment, social resettlement of offenders, independence of the legal profession, prosecution, prisoners' rights, supervision of conditionally sentenced or released offenders, and transfer of criminal proceedings. Major impediments to the effective application of standards and norms include lack of coordinated action, lack of funds, and public apathy. Increased intergovernmental, regional, and international cooperation is recommended to facilitate implementation. 15 footnotes.