A/RES/56/143 need to provide assistance to the victims in a purely humanitarian spirit and established the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, Recalling also the recommendation contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action 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 Fund, Noting with satisfaction the existence of a considerable international network of centres for the rehabilitation of victims of torture, which plays an important role in providing assistance to victims of torture, and the collaboration of the Fund with the centres, Commending the persistent efforts by non-governmental organizations to combat torture and to alleviate the suffering of victims of torture, Mindful of its proclamation, in its resolution 52/149 of 12 December 1997, of 26 June as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 1. Condemns all forms of torture, including through intimidation, as described in article 1 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; 5 2. Stresses that all allegations of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment should be promptly and impartially examined by the competent national authority, that those who encourage, order, tolerate or perpetrate acts of torture must be held responsible and severely punished, including the officials in charge of the place of detention at which the prohibited act is found to have taken place, and that national legal systems should ensure that the victims of such acts obtain redress, are awarded fair and adequate compensation and receive appropriate social and medical rehabilitation; 3. Recalls the Principles on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 6 and strongly encourages Governments to reflect upon the Principles as a useful tool in efforts to combat torture; 4. Notes with appreciation that one hundred and twenty-six States have become parties to the Convention; 5. Urges all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention as a matter of priority; 6. Invites all States ratifying or acceding to the Convention and those States that are parties to the Convention and have not yet done so to consider joining the States parties that have made the declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention and to consider the possibility of withdrawing their reservations to article 20; 7. Urges all States parties to the Convention to notify the Secretary-General of their acceptance of the amendments to articles 17 and 18 of the Convention as soon as possible; _______________ 5 6 2 Resolution 39/46, annex. Resolution 55/89, annex.