In comparison with other types of construction, the development of rock engineering design codes has been slow. Codesmust, however, be developed with relevant discipline-specific characteristics in mind. This paper, therefore, presents ageneric design framework for rock engineering. The framework is based on the presumption that rock engineering designmust be viewed as decision-making under uncertainty, which makes the design process subject to general risk managementprinciples, as risk is defined as “effect of uncertainties on objectives” (ISO 31000). Thus, rock engineering design codesultimately need to facilitate design processes that target the risk, to enable design of structures that not only are sufficientlysafe and durable and cost-effectively constructed, but also imply safe and healthy work conditions during construction andan acceptably low environmental impact. The presented framework satisfies this fundamental requirement and the authorsfind codification of its principles to be rather straightforward, as long as the level of detail in the code is governed by a strictapplication of ISO’s general risk management principles. Further details on methods and practical recommendations caninstead be supplemented in separate handbooks and application guidelines.