The report indicates that draft information-gathering questionnaires on standards and norms related to persons in custody, noncustodial sanctions, and juvenile and restorative justice were sent to member states for comments on February 8, 2005. Information on the development of new standards and norms pertains to issues related to child victims and witnesses; HIV/AIDS prevention; and the care and treatment of the most vulnerable populations, including prisoners. A status report on capital punishment and the implementation of the safeguards that guarantee protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty indicates a trend toward abolition and restriction of the use of capital punishment in most countries; however, much remains to be done to protect the rights of persons given the death penalty in those countries that retain it. A report on interagency coordination and participation in U.N. system-wide initiatives addresses the work of the U.N. Panel on Technical Advice and Assistance in Juvenile Justice, a study on violence against children, and a study on violence against women. A report on technical assistance in criminal justice reform focuses on the treatment of offenders and penal reform, the judiciary and law enforcement, juvenile justice, and the protection of victims.