COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE TO HOLD FIFTEENTH SESSION AT GENEVA FROM 13 TO 24 NOVEMBER
Press Release
HR/4207
COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE TO HOLD FIFTEENTH SESSION AT GENEVA FROM 13 TO 24 NOVEMBER
19951107 Reports of Denmark, Senegal, Guatemala, United Kingdom, Armenia and Colombia Will Be ConsideredGENEVA, 6 November (UN Information Service) -- The Committee against Torture, meeting for its fifteenth session at Geneva from 13 to 24 November, will review measures adopted by Denmark, Senegal, Guatemala, United Kingdom, Armenia and Colombia to prevent and punish acts of torture. Representatives of those six States are expected to come before the Committee to introduce their initial and periodic reports and respond to questions regarding application of the rights enshrined in the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The Convention, to which there are now 91 States parties, states that signatories are required to outlaw torture and are explicitly prohibited from using "higher orders" or "exceptional circumstances" as excuses for acts of torture. The Committee against Torture was established in 1987 to monitor compliance with the Convention and to assist States parties in implementing its provisions. It is composed of 10 independent experts, elected by States parties to the Convention and serving in their personal capacity.
During this two-week meeting, the experts will also examine, in closed meetings, information appearing to contain well-founded indications that torture was being systematically practised in a State party to the Convention. They will also consider communications from individuals claiming to be victims of a violation by a State party of the provisions of the Convention.
Also during the session, the Committee will consider amending its rules of procedure to make its working methods more effective.
In ratifying or acceding to the Convention, States undertake to submit reports on the measures they have taken to implement it. States are invited to send representatives to attend the meetings during which their reports are considered. For this session, the Committee has drawn up the following provisional timetable for the consideration of reports: Denmark, Tuesday, 14 November; Senegal, Wednesday, 15 November; Guatemala, Thursday, 16 November; United Kingdom, Friday, 17 November; Armenia, Monday, 20 November; and Colombia, Tuesday, 21 November.
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Background
The General Assembly unanimously adopted the Convention in 1984 and it entered into force on 26 June 1987. States parties to the Convention are required to outlaw torture and are explicitly prohibited from using "higher orders" or "exceptional circumstances" as excuses for acts of torture. The Convention introduced two significant new elements to the United Nations fight against torture. First, it specifies that alleged torturers may be tried in any State party or they may be extradited to face trial in the State party where their crimes were committed. Second, it provides for international investigation of reliable reports of torture, including visits to the State party concerned, with its agreement.
Under Article 20 of the Convention, if the Committee receives reliable information which appears to it to contain well-founded indications that torture is being systematically practised in the territory of a State party, the Committee shall invite that State party to cooperate in the examination of that information.
Under Article 21, a State party to the Convention may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications to the effect that a State party claims that another State party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Convention.
Under Article 22, a State party to the Convention may at any time declare that it recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from, or on behalf of, individuals subject to its jurisdiction who claim to be victims of a violation by a State party of the provisions of the Convention.
At present, the Convention has been ratified or acceded to by the following 91 States: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nepal, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Yemen.
The following 36 States have recognized the competence of the Committee under Articles 21 and 22: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
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(Serbia and Montenegro), Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela. In addition, the United Kingdom and the United States have recognized the competence of the Committee under Article 21 only.
Membership and Officers
The members of the Committee are: Peter Thomas Burns (Canada); Alexis Dipanda Mouelle (Cameroon); Fawzi El Ibrashi (Egypt); Ricardo Gil Lavedra (Argentina); Julia Iliopoulos-Strangas (Greece); Hugo Lorenzo (Uruguay); Mukunda Regmi (Nepal); Habib Slim (Tunisia); Bent Sorensen (Denmark); and Alexander M. Yakovlev (Russian Federation).
The officers are: Chairman, Mr. Dipanda Mouelle (Cameroon); Vice-Chairmen, Mr. Burns (Canada), Mr. El Ibrashi (Egypt), and Mr. Lorenzo (Uruguay). The Committee's Rapporteur is Mr. Sorensen (Denmark).
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