United Nations
A/RES/58/164
General Assembly
Distr.: General
4 March 2004
Fifty-eighth session
Agenda item 117 (a)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/508/Add.1 and Corr.1)]
58/164. Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment
The General Assembly,
Recalling article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1 article 7 of
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 2 the Declaration on the
Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 3 and its resolution 39/46 of
10 December 1984, by which it adopted and opened for signature, ratification and
accession the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment,
Recalling also that freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment is a non-derogable right that must be protected
under all circumstances, including in times of internal or international disturbance
or armed conflict, and that the prohibition of torture is explicitly affirmed in all
relevant international instruments,
Recalling further all previous resolutions or decisions on torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of the General Assembly, the
Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, in particular
Assembly resolution 57/200 of 18 December 2002 and Commission resolution
2003/32 of 23 April 2003, 4
Recalling the recommendation contained in the Vienna Declaration and
Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on
25 June 1993 5 that high priority should be given to providing the necessary
resources to assist victims of torture and effective remedies for their physical,
psychological and social rehabilitation, inter alia, through additional contributions
to the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture,
_______________
1
Resolution 217 A (III).
See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
3
Resolution 3452 (XXX), annex.
4
See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, Supplement No. 3 (E/2003/23), chap. II,
sect. A.
5
A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.
2
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