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Impunity as a root cause of the prevalence of torture 2010, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- A further concern is the fact that the authorities entrusted with investigating allegations of torture and ill-treatment are frequently the same authorities who are accused of committing such acts (i.e. the police), as is the case in Denmark, Georgia, Jordan and Nepal. Additionally, in Georgia, Mongolia and Paraguay, the investigation may also be carried out by the Office of the Prosecutor, the same authority responsible for prosecuting the case against the victim. The lack of independent investigating bodies with no connection to the authority investigating or prosecuting the case (a proper "police-police") prevents victims from obtaining justice and is one of the main impediments to combating impunity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur's predecessors have noted that prolonged solitary confinement may itself amount to prohibited ill-treatment or torture (E/CN.4/1999/61, para. 394, and E/CN.4/2003/68, para. 26 (m)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 40a
- Paragraph text
- [The justifications provided by States for the use of solitary confinement fall into five general categories:] To punish an individual (as part of the judicially imposed sentence or as part of a disciplinary regime);
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 40b
- Paragraph text
- [The justifications provided by States for the use of solitary confinement fall into five general categories:] To protect vulnerable individuals;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 40c
- Paragraph text
- [The justifications provided by States for the use of solitary confinement fall into five general categories:] To facilitate prison management of certain individuals;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 40d
- Paragraph text
- [The justifications provided by States for the use of solitary confinement fall into five general categories:] To protect or promote national security;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Solitary confinement 2011, para. 40e
- Paragraph text
- [The justifications provided by States for the use of solitary confinement fall into five general categories:] To facilitate pre-charge or pretrial investigations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of working methods and vision 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observes that acts of torture and ill-treatment remain a widespread phenomenon in today's world. In the last decade, State practices and approaches to torture, particularly in view of the ongoing security threats associated with the war on terror, responses to immigration concerns, citizen security and organized crime have tended to weaken or reinterpret the absolute prohibition on torture. While civil society organizations and members of the judiciaries of those countries where such practices have taken place have condemned them, a net effect in some sectors of public opinion has been a tendency to countenance torture as a "necessary evil." The Special Rapporteur believes it is his duty to confront this debate in all its legal, political, ethical and practical dimensions, and demonstrate that embarking on a path that permits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is not only immoral and illegal, but also counter-productive to law-enforcement efforts. He hopes, in this context, to join many others who wish to counter this worrying trend towards a severe erosion of some of the gains of the last four decades.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of working methods and vision 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- In his report to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism takes the view that "reliance on information from torture in another country, even if the information is obtained only for operational purposes, inevitably implies the "recognition of lawfulness" of such practices and therefore triggers the application of principles of State responsibility. Hence, States that receive information obtained through torture or inhuman and degrading treatment are complicit in the commission of internationally wrongful acts. Such involvement is also irreconcilable with the obligation erga omnes of States to cooperate in the eradication of torture." The Special Rapporteur shares this view and believes that this is a good starting point for future deliberation on the subject.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of working methods and vision 2011, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers the issues of torture and ill-treatment of victims in secret detention as a key concern that falls squarely within his mandate. He intends to follow up on any new and credible allegations concerning the ongoing use of places of secret detention by States or their complicity regarding their existence. Eradicating such practices is central to the prevention of torture and the Special Rapporteur believes that engagement in this issue cannot be seen as an unwarranted expansion of the definition of torture set forth in article 1 of the Convention or of the treaty's establishment of responsibility for its occurrence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of working methods and vision 2011, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur reiterates the importance of the "exclusionary rule" in preventing and suppressing torture, and recalls the obligations of States to ensure that any statement established to have been made as a result of torture shall not be invoked as evidence in any proceedings, except against a person accused of torture as evidence that the statement was made. To this end, he recommends strict adherence to this most fundamental of rules. He stresses that the exclusionary rule should not only apply to judicial and administrative proceedings, but also interpreted to include intelligence and decisions by the executive and its agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The death penalty and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment 2012, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- It has long been the view in doctrine and jurisprudence that article 6 of the Covenant (as well as the exclusion of "pain and suffering arising only, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions" from the definition of torture in art. 1, para. 1, of the Convention against Torture) means that the death penalty cannot be considered per se a violation of the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. However, as noted by the Special Rapporteur's predecessor in his 2009 report on the death penalty (A/HRC/10/44) in reference to judicial bodies, such interpretation may change over time, as was the case with the prohibition of corporal punishment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol) provides comprehensive guidance on the relevant international legal standards and ethical obligations for investigative procedures, interviews and collection of both physical and psychological evidence of torture, including a section on commissions of inquiry into torture and other forms of ill-treatment. In addition, the updated set of principles for the protection and promotion of human rights through action to combat impunity contains eight principles specific to commissions of inquiry. However, the circumstances under which commissions of inquiry are appropriate, and the ways in which they may provide unique benefits, remain little discussed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Commissions of inquiry are able to complement the prosecutorial function as they may make use of information not admissible in a court of law because the evidentiary standards are less rigorous. For example, in commissions of inquiry, hearsay evidence is generally admissible owing to the lower evidentiary standards required. Similarly, often the required burden of proof is not as high as it would be in criminal trials; for example, a preponderance of the evidence may be sufficient, as opposed to proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Moreover, in the case of commissions of inquiry, individuals are typically invited voluntarily to testify or submit written statements, unlike the more formal deposition proceedings generally required in traditional courts of law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Commissions of inquiry can also directly assist prosecutions by providing information collected by the commission to the prosecuting authorities. Information derived from a commission's final report can serve as a useful, even if not entirely comprehensive, tool in the formal prosecution of a victim's case. For example, the commission's findings may provide insights into the role and extent of the complicity of State officials in torture. In all instances where a commission of inquiry receives allegations of torture and other forms of ill-treatment committed by State or non-State actors, the allegation and all relevant evidence must be submitted to relevant prosecutorial authorities for the initiation of a formal legal investigation and, if relevant, prosecution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Commissions of inquiry 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The report of the commission of inquiry should be published widely and in a manner that is accessible to the broadest audience possible, and should explain the commission's findings of fact and the legal analysis that supports its conclusions. The report should also contain detailed recommendations for all branches of Government (or to the international community, if applicable) on how to fulfil the State's obligations with regard to truth, justice, reparation to victims and guarantees of non-repetition. Through its highest authorities, the State should respond promptly to the publication of the commission's report, indicating its acceptance or rejection of each recommendation, with carefully reasoned explanations, and ideally a timetable for implementation of the recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Certain forms of abuses in health-care settings that may cross a threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 2013, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- At least four essential elements are reflected in the definition of torture provided in article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention against Torture: an act inflicting severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental; the element of intent; the specific purpose; and the involvement of a State official, at least by acquiescence (A/HRC/13/39/Add.5, para. 30). Acts falling short of this definition may constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under article 16 of the Convention (A/63/175, para. 46). The previous Special Rapporteurs have covered in great detail the main components of the definition of torture. Nevertheless, there are a few salient points worth elaborating for the purpose of the present report.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- There are different thresholds for the "proof" of torture. The obligation to investigate acts of torture is initiated by the existence of reasonable grounds. Evidence of torture that rises to the level of "proof" in criminal proceedings (that is, beyond a reasonable doubt) should not be necessary to establish State recognition and responsibility for torture or to trigger the obligations that do not involve assigning individual guilt and punishment, such as the implementation of public policies for prevention and administrative or civil remedies, including rehabilitation. This is important because States often claim that torture and their corresponding obligations to address it do not exist because torture has never been "proven" in court.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Role of forensic and medical sciences in the investigation prevention torture and other ill-treatment 2014, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Forensic evidence is a type of expert evidence. The purpose of expert evidence is to provide the court with information based on scientific methods, the interpretation of which is outside the experience and specialized knowledge of a court. It is the task of the court to decide whether there is a need for expert evidence, to order its procurement and to establish the competency of each expert witness. Accordingly, where forensic evidence forms only part of the total factual matrix, as in most cases, the issue for a decision-maker in a criminal trial is to determine what use can and should be made of that forensic evidence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The scope and objective of the exclusionary rule in judicial proceedings and in relation to acts by executive actors 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The very secrecy of such evidence undermines the preventive element of the exclusionary rule. Wherever secret evidence is admitted there is an enhanced risk that evidence obtained by torture or other ill-treatment will be admitted, whether deliberately or inadvertently, since such evidence cannot be challenged in open court. In addition, much of the closed evidence used in cases which concern national security is heavily reliant on information from secret intelligence sources. Such evidence may contain second- or third- hand testimony, or other material which would not normally be admissible in ordinary criminal or civil proceedings. Effective control of the implementation of the exclusionary rule and assessment of the compatibility of the conduct of the Government with the exclusionary rule in secret proceedings becomes difficult or even impossible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The scope and objective of the exclusionary rule in judicial proceedings and in relation to acts by executive actors 2014, para. 83f (ii)
- Paragraph text
- [Regarding the use by executive actors of information tainted by torture, all States should:] Take positive preventive measures to ensure that the relationships between executive agencies of different States do not encourage or lead to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, inter alia, by: Establishing requirements in intelligence-sharing agreements that only States that comply with all the obligations under the prohibition of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment be part of such agreements;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur calls upon States to recognize that their obligations under articles 2 and 16 of the Convention to take steps to prevent torture and other ill-treatment in "any territory under [their] jurisdiction" encompass all areas in which the State exercises, in whole or in part, de jure or de facto effective control, as well as all persons under the State's effective control, and action taken in its own jurisdiction to prevent torture or other ill-treatment extraterritorially, including by third parties or organs of third States operating within the jurisdiction of the State party concerned. This includes measures taken by States in their own jurisdiction to prevent torture or other ill-treatment abroad.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- In the present report, the Special Rapporteur addresses the extraterritorial application of the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and attendant obligations in international human rights law, in particular the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Human rights norms were initially conceived to regulate not just States' behaviour vis-à-vis persons present within their territories but also towards any persons under their jurisdiction, a concept that unequivocally covers some extraterritorial acts and situations. In practice, the increasingly transnational nature of State actions entails a need to ensure that States abide by their fundamental human rights obligations when acting beyond, or when their domestic acts cause injury outside, their territorial boundaries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur examines herein States' obligations to respect and ensure the right of all persons to be free from torture and ill-treatment and to comply with attendant legal obligations imposed by customary and applicable treaty law whenever they engage in acts or breach the human rights of individuals outside their borders, and to ensure a broader range of positive obligations when they are in a position to do so extraterritorially. Denying the applicability of extant legal standards to torture or other ill-treatment committed, sponsored, aided or effectively controlled or influenced by States outside their territories can create incentives for States to avoid absolute legal obligations and amount to serious breaches of international law. The Special Rapporteur considers that it is essential to ensure that there is no vacuum of human rights protection that is due to inappropriate and artificial limits on territorial jurisdiction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Violations of the prohibition against torture or other ill-treatment - and of preventive obligations - can be committed by perpetration, omission and acts of complicity. Article 4 (1) of the Convention against Torture refers to the individual criminal liability of a person for complicity or participation in torture. The Committee against Torture considers complicity to include acts that amount to instigation, incitement, superior order and instruction, consent, acquiescence and concealment. It is clear that acquiescence (art. 1 of the Convention) by State officials is sufficient for their conduct to be attributed to the State and give rise to State responsibility for torture. Article 4 (1) clearly reflects an obligation on States themselves not to be complicit in torture through the actions of their organs or persons whose acts are attributable to them (A/HRC/13/42).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The obligation enshrined in article 2 of the Convention, which requires States to take effective legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent torture in "any territory under [their] jurisdiction", applies to all areas and places "where the State party exercises, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, de jure or de facto effective control"; furthermore, the scope of "territory" in article 2 encompasses "situations where a State party exercises, directly or indirectly, de facto or de jure control over persons in detention" and applies to "all persons under the effective control of its authorities, of whichever type, wherever located in the world" (CAT/C/USA/CO/2, para. 15). The Committee has clarified that this applies to all provisions expressed as applicable to territory under the State party's jurisdiction, which further apply, inter alia, to the prohibition against other ill-treatment contained in article 16.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment from an extraterritorial perspective 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- In R. v. Pinochet (No. 3), the United Kingdom House of Lords approved the extradition of the former President of Chile to face torture charges in Spain, finding that the "jus cogens nature of the international crime of torture justifies States in taking universal jurisdiction over torture wherever committed". Offences constituting jus cogens, such as torture, may be punished by any State because the offenders are "common enemies of all mankind and all nations have an equal interest in their apprehension and prosecution". It is illustrative that at least 85 States provide in their domestic law for universal jurisdiction over torture. The Special Rapporteur welcomes instances of States' exercise of universal jurisdiction to investigate international crimes such as torture, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed extraterritorially by or against non-citizens as a means to combat impunity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In interpreting the relevant legal provisions, the Special Rapporteur will be guided, among other sources, by State practice, international jurisprudence and two soft law instruments widely recognized to reflect generally recognized conditions and modalities governing the use of force by law enforcement officials: the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The Special Rapporteur intends to conduct his thematic work in this area based on consultations and expert meetings with relevant stakeholders and experts, and building on earlier analyses by other special procedure mandate holders who explored similar issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- In sum, the Special Rapporteur is of the view that international law must protect every human being from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, whoever the perpetrators may be. Throughout his tenure, the Special Rapporteur will therefore aim to contribute to closing the protection gap for victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment at the hands of non-State actors, including by advocating for the mutual reinforcement of human rights and international humanitarian law obligations. In carrying out his mandate, the Special Rapporteur is also willing to explore, to the extent appropriate and practicable, the benefits of engaging in a direct dialogue with non-State actors, including de facto authorities, other armed groups and private companies, to achieve a positive impact on the ground. The Special Rapporteur will also endeavour to further contribute to the ongoing discussions on holding non-State actors accountable for human rights violations, including for acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Working methods, thematic priorities and vision for a meaningful anti-torture advocacy 2017, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers it an absolute priority of the mandate to continue transmitting urgent appeals to States with regard to individuals reported to be at risk of torture, as well as communications on past alleged cases of torture. However, having recently taken up his functions, the Special Rapporteur notes with serious concern that the resources allocated to the mandate are not sufficient to respond to the ever-growing number of urgent requests for intervention on behalf of individuals. The Special Rapporteur therefore appeals to the Human Rights Council, as well as to its members individually, to take every possible measure to allow the Special Rapporteur to carry out the mandate effectively.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph