On 18 of July 2026, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) marked the Nelson Mandela International Day, honouring Mandela’s legacy by remembering his commitment to the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people in prison.

In 2015, his efforts inspired the renaming of the revised United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners into "Nelson Mandela Rules."

Supporting the implementation of international standards on detention conditions like the Nelson Mandela Rules remains an essential part of EULEX's work to promote a human-rights-based correctional system in Kosovo.