Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
On the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26th June), the European Union reaffirms its commitment to the global eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to the full rehabilitation of torture victims. The absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is unequivocally established under international law.
Welcoming the Resolution 63/166 adopted by the UN General Assembly on 18 December 2008 and the Resolution 10/24 adopted by the UN Human Rights Council on 27 March 2009, the European Union reiterates its condemnation of any action or attempt by States or public officials to legalise, authorise or acquiesce, including by medical or other health personnel, in torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including on grounds of national security or through judicial decisions. Any allegation pertaining to torture must be investigated impartially and the perpetrators brought to justice and punished.
The European Union urges all States strictly to abide by the principle of non-refoulement of any person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be tortured.
The European Union urges all States, which have not yet done so, to become parties to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and to its Optional Protocol (OPCAT), and to recognise the competence of the Committee against Torture to receive and consider individual communications. The European Union also calls on States to lift any reservations they have made to these instruments. States must take persistent, determined and effective measures, including legal reform, to prevent and combat torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
The OPCAT represents an important contribution to achieving independent and effective torture preventive mechanism both at the national and international level. The EU welcomes the recent ratification of OPCAT by Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Montenegro, Nicaragua and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The European Union emphasizes that all States shall ensure that victims of torture obtain redress and have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible. All States are urged to do their utmost to ensure the restoration of the dignity and humanity of victims of torture, who often suffer from long-term physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorders, which require specialised and long-term rehabilitation assistance.
The European Union welcomes the recommendations of the first EU-AU civil society human rights dialogue, held in Brussels on the 16 and 17th of April 2009, which called for the fight against torture to be a priority of the cooperation between the two continents. We The European Union takes that participants called for a full implementation of the Resolution on Guidelines and Measures for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Africa (the Robben Island Guidelines) and of the EU Guidelines on torture.
The European Union continues to support diplomatically, politically and financially the fight against torture within the framework of the EU Guidelines against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Special attention is given to the rehabilitation of victims of torture through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights.
The European Union recognizes the leading role of the UN in fighting torture and supporting victims and underlines its support for the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee for Prevention of Torture and the UN Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture.
The European Union expresses its appreciation and support to the work undertaken by regional mechanisms, in particular the Special Rapporteur on Prisons and Conditions of Detention in Africa of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, the Committee on the Implementation of the Robben Island Guidelines and the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture, and urges States to implement their recommendations.
The European Union commends the persistent efforts by many NGOs and individuals working tirelessly for the prevention of torture and to alleviate the suffering of victims, as well as in mobilising public opinion on this important issue.
The European Union commits to continue and intensify its efforts to secure a world free from torture.
Contact:
- Milan Řepka, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- tel.: +420 224 182 052, GSM: +420 724 034 154; e-mail: [email protected]
Last update: 16.8.2011 15:18
