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Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- For example, such a retrogressive tendency has been observed in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and with regard to discrimination against groups in vulnerable situations, including children, documented and undocumented migrants, persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons. In his reports and through his other activities, the Special Rapporteur will highlight the need and importance of applying the principle of the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights, and will underline how essential this is for the full realization of the right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Other thematic reports have explored the enjoyment of the right to health and the underlying determinants, including water and sanitation, occupational health, the right to health in conflict, unhealthy foods, and the right to health of migrants, older persons and persons with psychosocial disabilities (including the key issue of informed consent).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Work in progress, challenges and the way forward 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In view of the possible extension of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur would like to review the situation of persons acting to defend the rights of migrants. In the light of the situation in Europe and other parts of the world, such as Africa, Oceania and Central America, this subject seems particularly relevant.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Women human rights defenders and those working on women’s rights or gender issues 2011, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- According to the information received, the Colombian Constitutional Court has stated that women defenders face extraordinary risks linked to both their condition of women and to their active participation in community and social movements. In this connection, the Constitutional Court has issued orders to overcome the inadequate protection of those women who work as leaders of internally displaced communities and has highlighted the gender-related risks faced by women defenders in the context of the conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 63d
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur reiterates that States should design, adopt and implement gender-sensitive and human rights-based law, policy and programming which:] Prioritizes the needs of particularly vulnerable and/or marginalized women, including widows, elderly women, lesbians, homeless women, migrant women, women with disabilities, women who may be single mothers or single heads of household, women living with or otherwise affected by HIV/AIDS, women belonging to minorities, domestic workers, sex workers, illiterate women and women who have been displaced;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Women and their right to adequate housing 2012, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- In order to ensure that housing is accessible to all groups of women, it is similarly important for housing law, policy and programmes to reflect the needs of women who may be especially disadvantaged and who encounter intersectional discrimination, including widows, elderly women, lesbians, homeless women, migrant women, women with disabilities, women who may be single mothers or single heads of households, women living with or otherwise affected by chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and mental health disorders, women belonging to racial/ethnic/linguistic minorities, domestic workers, sex workers, illiterate women and women who have been displaced.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 86b
- Paragraph text
- [In terms of cooperation and coordination, States, in cooperation with United Nations agencies and programmes, international organizations, host countries and civil society organizations, should:] Actively participate in and support international initiatives, such as Alliance 8.7 and the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children, aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure that children grow up free from violence and exploitation, and engage in the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration and the global compact on refugees;
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 81d
- Paragraph text
- [In terms of protection and assistance, States, in cooperation with United Nations agencies and programmes, international organizations, host countries and civil society organizations, should:] Ensure the provision of health and psychosocial services in places where migrants or refugees reside, including reception centres, refugee camps or informal settlements, as well as access to education, religious and cultural practices. Ensure also that practitioners are trained and supported in working with distressed, traumatized children and victims of trafficking and exploitation. Services must be child-friendly and give consideration to the cultural, religious and social norms and values of these children;
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Existing prevention mechanisms and responses to various forms of exploitation of children in the context of conflict and humanitarian crisis are largely ineffective and lead to precariousness. Indeed, the accurate identification of children who are victims of sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation is hindered by the inadequate training, or lack thereof, of frontline workers, challenges in age and filiation determination, and a lack of communication and coordination among various actors. In spite of some promising practices, the interim care of and durable solutions for vulnerable children on the move often do not consider the specific needs of children, especially those separated or unaccompanied who live in mixed spaces with adult migrants or refugees in areas or camps that lack basic amenities. The existence of numerous cases of sexual exploitation of children is an additional indication of the failure of a protection system meant to safeguard them.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- While some refugee and internally displaced persons camps have separate facilities for unaccompanied or separated children, they often lack family-based solutions and have very limited capacity to face the increasing number of unaccompanied or separated children. As a consequence, children share their living space with adults or are held in prolonged detention. In addition, even when children are offered a separated living area, those are often easily accessible to everyone, especially during night-time. Moreover, certain camps fail to provide basic amenities, such as appropriate health-care services or gender-differentiated sanitation. The lack of adequate lightning, the layout of some camps and a shortage of security personnel further increase the vulnerability of children to abuse. Finally, the reluctance of many European countries to provide refugee children with a safe and permanent home continues to aggravate the situation by prolonging the stay of children in the facilities.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vulnerabilities of children to sale, trafficking and other forms of exploitation in situations of conflict and humanitarian crisis 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Responses to current humanitarian crises are increasingly dependent on voluntary work and, as a result, frontline workers are not always appropriately trained or able to detect such complex situations as trafficking in persons or other forms of child exploitation. A lack of confidentiality or child-friendly spaces and complaint mechanisms in places where migrants or refugees reside, including reception centres, refugee camps and informal settlements, also hampers the establishment of a bond of trust with the children that would enable them to share their concerns and the risks that they face. In addition, children’s lack of confidence in the protection system and the assistance available to them drives them to hide their exploitation from humanitarian workers. Finally, children’s experience of abuse and exploitation as well as their own statements regarding their age are met with disbelief by public services, undermining the identification process further.
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Vision-setting report 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 32, on the gender-related dimensions of refugee status, asylum, nationality and statelessness of women, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women recognized that "displacement arising from armed conflict, gender-related persecutions and other serious human rights violations that affect women compounds existing challenges to the elimination of discrimination against women".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Although traditionally the role of women has been a part of the agenda on the right to food, the Special Rapporteur believes that the empowerment of women and the protection of their rights should be placed at the centre of the policymaking process on the right to food. Specific programmes and policies should be developed to empower women as agents of change. That means ensuring that they are granted equal access to resources, such as land ownership or tenure, water and seeds, and financial and technological assistance. The empowerment of women should not be limited to rural areas, but should also be extended to urban women, women from indigenous communities, those living in refugee camps and undocumented migrants. In the agricultural sector, policies tend to be "gender blind or gender sensitive in mild ways", failing to address some of the main obstacles women face. Moving towards gender transformative policies will require major additional efforts on the part of States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert is of the view that specific measures to end attacks against persons with albinism should include immediate investigation of allegations and prosecution of alleged perpetrators, legal representation and adequate protection for victims and witnesses and sensitization of the judiciary and law enforcement officers on the issue. Furthermore, protection measures for persons with albinism should be adopted and implemented in their communities. Victims of attacks should be provided with the appropriate remedy and redress, not only legal, but also social, psychological and medical. The Independent Expert will also seek the adoption of measures to prevent the trafficking in body parts, as well as specific measures for improving conditions at temporary shelters for displaced persons with albinism and the execution of safe strategies for reintegrating them into their homes and communities. In that regard, she encourages international and regional cooperation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Studies often link the prevalence of skin cancer to factors such as the lack of basic understanding of albinism, particularly by persons with albinism and their families. For example, it is not uncommon for parents to put a newborn with albinism out in the sun for hours. Displaced persons with albinism are exposed to a heightened risk of skin cancer as they are mostly outside of their usual environment and have limited means to address their health needs. Also at particular risk of developing skin cancer are persons with albinism who work outdoors, such as farmers or traders. Such outdoor occupations also emphasize the link between the risk of contracting skin cancer and poverty.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Infants
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In addition, as a protection measure, children have been transported to shelters, including police stations, schools or centres built for other needs, such as for people living with leprosy. Most of these shelters were neither designed nor prepared for an influx of persons with albinism, nor are they equipped to address the special needs of persons with albinism. Reports show that inhabitants with albinism are exposed to early skin cancer risk and various forms of abuse. Furthermore, as pointed out by the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee in its study on the situation of human rights of persons living with albinism, an assessment by the OHCHR field presence of the situation of displaced persons with albinism in Burundi showed the precarious security situation of some of them and the negative impact of the measure on the right to an adequate standard of living.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- As an initial step, the mandate holder will outline, in broad strokes, some of the obstacles with which persons with albinism are confronted. The obstacles identified constitute the main areas of concern and priorities of the mandate holder and include human rights violations such as attacks, desecration of graves, trafficking of body parts, displacement, discrimination against persons with albinism, as well as human rights violations based on disabilities, challenges in the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to education. The Independent Expert would also like to draw attention to the particularly concerning situation of women and children with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Violence against women: Twenty years of developments to combat violence against women 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- One of the five priority areas of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) is ending violence against women. The efforts of UN-Women in this regard include standard setting, technical assistance, financial assistance, education, advocacy, data collection and coordination. The entity supports Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards, including in developing and implementing national action plans to end violence against women. UN-Women also participates in a number of joint programmes with partner agencies at the country level and coordinates the Secretary-General's UNiTE campaign and the COMMIT initiative. The Inventory of United Nations activities to prevent and eliminate violence against women describes the efforts of 38 United Nations entities, the International Organization for Migration and six inter-agency partnerships. UN-Women has also developed the Virtual Knowledge Centre to End Violence against Women and Girls, an online resource centre.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Violence against women with disabilities 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Undocumented women with disabilities may be at higher risk of violence because of the aggressor's control over immigration status; language barriers; distrust of the police force; and barriers to social and public services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against women with disabilities 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Women with disabilities in conflict or post-conflict regions may be at additional risk of violence as members of a targeted race/ethnic, religious or linguistic group and may have greater difficulty in accessing services in the conflict environment. Women with disabilities face additional burdens in refugee camps because the facilities are rarely accessible or designed to meet their specific needs. Serious problems with the physical layout and infrastructure of refugee camps have been noted by some organizations. Such problems mean that services, including toilets, shelters and health facilities will not be accessible to people with disabilities and that no special accommodations are made to ensure accessibility to the food and supplies they need on a daily basis. In addition, because camps and facilities are generally inaccessible, most persons with disabilities are forced to remain in them. Furthermore, justice and post-conflict reconciliation activities generally do not include women with disabilities, nor are such programmes made accessible or inclusive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Refugees and other non-citizens are often susceptible to violence against women. It is noted that organizational and societal factors, including unhealthy and unsafe housing, unemployment, poverty, restricted access to health care, higher education, participation in civil society and legal protection all contribute to the ill health and vulnerability of migrants and women migrants in particular. Women in these communities are not adequately protected, which can cause them to be more susceptible to violence and less likely to be able to participate adequately in society. Women who are not citizens often feel that they lack protection of the law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 69c
- Paragraph text
- All States, particularly those hosting potential victims of trafficking among persons fleeing conflict, should:Ensure free-of-charge birth and marriage registration of nationals and non-nationals fleeing conflict, including in internally displaced person and refugee camps, in cooperation with United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations, in order to prevent or address potential trafficking in children for sexual and other forms of exploitation and the exploitation of the labour of individuals, particularly underage children and women;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 64b
- Paragraph text
- [All States, particularly those hosting potential victims of trafficking among persons fleeing conflict, should:] Identify measures to prevent exploitation of the labour of nationals and non-nationals fleeing conflict, including by establishing safe and legal channels of migration, respecting the principle of non-refoulement and ensuring that migrants have regular access to the labour market in the host country, in cooperation with United Nations agencies and programmes and international organizations;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 56e
- Paragraph text
- [Rights of victims of trafficking in armed conflict. Victims of trafficking are entitled to the same rights, due diligence protection and prevention against trafficking in persons by States whether in times of conflict or otherwise. These rights include:] Right to safe return/protection from retrafficking/protection from persecution. All victims of trafficking who are not residents of the country in which they find themselves are entitled to return to their country of origin. This right places an obligation on the part of the country of origin to receive its returning nationals without undue or unreasonable delay. The right to return also implies an obligation on the country of destination to permit those victims who wish to return to do so, again without undue or unreasonable delay. Detention of trafficked persons in shelters, prisons or immigration detention facilities is one way in which the right to return can be interfered with. International law supports a standard of safe and preferably voluntary return for trafficked persons, which implies, at a minimum, that steps are taken to ensure that victims are not at serious risk of retrafficking or persecution. The right to seek and claim asylum from persecution requires States to avoid returning victims to situations of persecution or risks of serious human rights violations. Issues around return are complicated by conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Individuals and communities caught up in conflict are vulnerable to a range of human rights violations. Pre-existing conditions and vulnerabilities, such as structural gender-based and other forms of discrimination affecting women, children and non-citizens, are exacerbated during conflict as opportunities for exploitation increase and protections break down. Factors such as the sponsorship system (kafala), which is intended to regulate the employer and employee relations in some countries, give employers excessive power and control over migrant workers, increasing their risk of being trafficked. For instance the rescue of trafficked Kenyan female domestic workers in Libya during the conflict in that country posed challenges because their employers, who were responsible for authorizing the workers' exit permits, had fled the country with the their travel documents. Similarly, during the armed conflict in Lebanon in 2006, some of the 300,000 domestic workers from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and the Philippines who were left behind when their employers were evacuated became vulnerable to traffickers who offered alternative options to livelihood and resident status.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Individuals and communities caught up in conflict are vulnerable to a range of human rights violations. Pre-existing conditions and vulnerabilities, such as structural gender-based and other forms of discrimination affecting women, children and non-citizens, are exacerbated during conflict as opportunities for exploitation increase and protections break down. Conflicts are prolonged by actors who take advantage of situations of lawlessness to reap personal gain through lucrative activities such as trafficking. In this section the Special Rapporteur will look into trafficking into military service and sexual and labour exploitation during conflict involving all persons, including boys, girls and migrants.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Trafficking in persons in conflict and post-conflict situations 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Human trafficking is an increasingly common feature of modern conflict, whether national or international. Existing forms of trafficking and vulnerabilities ranging from gender-based violence to discrimination to lack of economic opportunities are exacerbated before, during and after conflict. Furthermore, conflict tends to fuel impunity, the breakdown of law and order and the destruction of institutions and communities, which foster conditions within which trafficking will flourish, often beyond the point at which hostilities have ceased. Lack of access to safe and legal migration options forces many persons fleeing conflict to use the services of illegal facilitators, increasing their exposure to exploitation, including trafficking.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Given that particular groups are more vulnerable during questioning, the protocol should contain specific provisions for, among others, children, women and girls, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minorities or indigenous groups and non-nationals, including migrants (regardless of migration status), refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons. The vulnerability of persons should be promptly identified for special consideration of their needs to be reflected in the conduct of interviews and implementation of additional safeguards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- International and regional human rights mechanisms have to date developed an extensive body of jurisprudence on practices that amount to physical or psychological torture or ill-treatment, including but not limited to punching, kicking, beatings, electrocution, forms of suffocation, burns, use of firearms, mock executions, threats of reprisals against relatives, death threats, restraints in very painful conditions, rape, sexual abuse and humiliation, sleep deprivation, prolonged stress positions, prolonged solitary confinement, incommunicado detention, sensory deprivation, exposure to extreme temperatures or loud music for prolonged periods, dietary adjustments, blindfolding and hooding during questioning, prolonged questioning sessions, removal of clothing, deprivation of all comfort and religious items and exploitation of phobias during questioning (see A/HRC/13/39/Add.5; A/52/44; CCPR/C/USA/CO/3/Rev.1; CAT/C/USA/CO/2; and CAT/C/KAZ/CO/3). Deplorably, such illegal methods have often been combined with poor conditions of detention - which can alone amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in themselves - to exert additional psychological pressure on detainees to reveal information. The Special Rapporteur recalls that the physical environment and conditions during questioning must be adequate, humane and free from intimidation, so as not to run afoul of the prohibition of torture or ill-treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Torture, ill-treatment and coercion during interviews/ Universal protocol for non-coercive, ethically sound, evidence-based and empirically founded interviewing practices 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- It is well established that the term "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" must be interpreted to extend the widest possible protection against abuses (see the Body of Principles). When persons are deprived of liberty, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment overlaps with and is supplemented by the principle of humane treatment of detainees (see A/68/295). The European Court of Human Rights, in Bouyid v. Belgium, has highlighted the inherent link between concepts of degrading treatment or punishment and human dignity, finding that treatment that "humiliates or debases an individual, show[s] a lack of respect for or diminish[es] his or her human dignity, or arouses feelings of fear, anguish or inferiority capable of breaking an individual's moral and physical resistance" may be characterized as degrading. Any act by law enforcement that diminishes a person's human dignity, including the use of physical force when not strictly necessitated by his or her conduct, violates the prohibition of torture and ill treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph