The recommendations will be made by the Council of Europe as part of a declaration on child-friendly justice, expected to be published next autumn.
Among other recommendations, draft guidelines state that children should not be referred to adult proceedings, a change that could in theory mean an end to Crown Court hearings for under-18s in Britain.
The draft guidelines also call for the age of criminal responsibility "not to be set too low" and for custody to be avoided "as much as possible".
The document, which is currently subject to a public consultation, will not be legally binding but is likely to have implications in setting standards, shaping opinion and informing debate.
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