On International Day, UN chief urges broad support for victims of torture
June 27, 2013: To mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday, joined with United Nations independent human rights experts
urging Member States to step up efforts to promote a victim-centred approach which
includes access to redress and rehabilitation services.
“Let us work together
to end torture throughout the world and ensure that countries provide reparation for
victims,” the Secretary-General said in his message for the Day, urging all Member
States to accede to and fully implement the Convention against Torture and to support
the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
Noting that this is the Committee
against Torture's 25th anniversary, Mr. Ban said that the Geneva-based body – along
with other UN human rights mechanisms such as the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
and the Special Rapporteur on Torture – is vital to strengthen a victim-oriented approach
that also includes a gender perspective.
“This effort was further strengthened
by the adoption this year of a UN Human Rights Council resolution focussing on the
rehabilitation of torture victims,” he said, urging countries to step up their efforts
to assist all those that have not only suffered from torture, but all cruel, inhuman
and degrading treatment or punishment.
Joining the Secretary-General's call
to action today is a group of UN independent human rights experts, who emphasized
that all too often traumatized victims struggle to obtain the physical and mental
rehabilitation, justice and compensation to which they are entitled. “Torture unfortunately
continues to be practiced in many countries, made possible by the dehumanization of
the victim, torturer and society at large,” said Claudio Grossman, Chair of the Committee
against Torture, which last November issued a landmark definition on the right to
reparation for victims.
In a news release issued by the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), he was supported by the Subcommittee on Prevention
of Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice,
reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, as well as the Board of Trustees of the
UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
The release points out that victims
have the enforceable right to reparation that includes fair and adequate compensation
and access to as full rehabilitation as possible. States must also ensure victims
are not exposed to further risk of ill-treatment and ensure violations are investigated
and punished.
The Committee's stance was reinforced in March by a Human Rights
Council resolution that called on States to not only provide redress for victims of
torture but to ensure they are fully involved in the process to help them rebuild
their lives and reintegrate into society. “A victim-centred approach requires individual
assessment of the victim's needs and treatment that goes beyond the short term,” said
Special Rapporteur on torture Juan E. Méndez, adding that a holistic approach is crucial
to “ensure professionals work with, rather than on, a person who has been tortured.”
Another key duty on States, the experts stress in the news release, is to
tackle impunity and strengthen judicial proceedings to prevent torture from continuing.
“Effective redress is not possible without States addressing impunity,” said Pablo
de Greiff, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees
of non-recurrence.
“In addition to receiving reparation, it is crucial for
victims to be involved in truth-seeking exercises, and in judicial processes to ensure
effective and impartial investigations, prosecutions and judgements that reflect the
gravity of the offence. It is also central for societies to put institutions and mechanisms
in place to prevent future violations,” he said. Rehabilitation of victims is key
not only for the individuals affected but for society as a whole, according to Malcolm
Evans, Chair of the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture which conducts field
visits to places of detention.
“Wherever and whenever torture and ill-treatment
occur, a meaningful prevention implies prevention for the victims and their relatives.
Our committee has learned from direct experience the central role that rehabilitation
occupies in the cycle of prevention,” he said. The focus on a victim-oriented approach
also highlights the need for properly resourced rehabilitation centres, the experts
say.
Every year, the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture supports hundreds
of such centres to give humanitarian, medical and legal assistance to victims and
their relatives. According to the news release, it is estimated that the Fund assists
annually between 50,000 to 70,000 victims and their relatives.
The Fund, which
relies on voluntary contributions from governments, the private sector and individuals,
has seen its donations drop to $8.4 million in 2012 – a 30 per cent decrease since
2008. Its donor base has also shrunk from 38 donors in 2008 to 22 in 2012.
“Too
many governments are cutting back on this in the light of economic problems,” said
Mercedes Doretti, a forensic anthropologist who chairs the Fund's Board of Trustees.
Ensuring prompt and proper treatment for victims of torture can reduce the financial
cost to the state, she noted.
“We strongly hope that this renewed focus on
victims' redress and rehabilitation will translate into more resources being made
available to respond to thousands of torture victims,” said Ms. Doretti. Independent
experts, or special rapporteurs, are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights
Council to examine and report back, in an unpaid capacity, on specific human rights
themes.