This is a working paper prepared for the 10th United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, April 2000. The paper discusses the nature of the rule of law, particularly those elements of greatest importance for criminal justice. It considers the significance of the rule of law as a goal of sustainable development and as a means of supporting the achievement of other development goals. It also considers offenses involving terrorism, corruption, and organized crime, which raise unique problems for the rule of law. Transnational crime, which may or may not be committed by organized criminal groups, also constitutes a new challenge to conventional models of the rule of law because the rule of law is based on a traditional framework in which sovereign powers, including the powers to make, enforce and administer the law, are exercised at the national level. The advent of new transportation and communication technologies creates the potential for increases in transnational crime. The paper discusses the reaction of the international community, and challenges it may face in the future, in terms of the rule of law. Notes