The UN Should Play an Active Role to Stop Torture Worldwide
The International Day against Torture, marked on 26 June each year, saw the signing of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, one of the main tools in the fight against torture, entered into force in 1987 that is ratified by 162 countries.
Torture is a problem faced by all countries of the world that aims to annihilate the personality of the victims and deny the inherent dignity of human beings. The United Nations had one of the most prominent roles in dealing with this issue, which had condemned torture from the beginning as one of the most despicable acts committed by human beings against their fellow human beings.
Torture is a crime under international law that is strictly prohibited by all relevant instruments and cannot be justified under any circumstances. It is a prohibition that forms part of customary international law, meaning that it binds every member of the international community, regardless of whether or not the state has ratified the international treaties expressly prohibiting torture. The systematic and widespread practice of torture constitutes a crime against humanity.
In its resolution 52/149 of 12 December 1997, the General Assembly proclaimed 26 June as the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, with the aim of eliminating torture and achieving the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel or Inhuman Treatment or Punishment or degrading treatment (resolution 39/46 annex), which entered into force on 26 June 1987.
Recovery from torture requires immediate and specialized programs. The work of rehabilitation centers and organizations around the world has proven that victims can move from horror to recovery.
Rehabilitation services help torture survivors recover where this is supported by videos produced by the UN Trust Fund for the Reduction of Torture including interviews with beneficiary organizations and survivors.
The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, administered by the United Nations Human Rights Office in Geneva, is a unique victim-focused mechanism that directs funding to assist torture victims and their families.
Founded in 1981 with a mission to support victims of torture and their families, the United Nations Voluntary Fund celebrates its fortieth anniversary. The fund works by directing voluntary contributions to civil society organizations that provide legal, social, humanitarian, psychological and medical services. Beneficiaries include human rights defenders, persons deprived of liberty, children and adolescents, refugees and migrants, victims of enforced disappearances, indigenous peoples, and victims of sexual and gender-based violence.
The UN should make sure that governments of the world adhere to the principles of the convention on torture and stop all forms of it as it negates human dignity and causes unbearable pain to its victims and their families.
