SECRETARY-GENERAL APPROVES $2.5 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR TORTURE VICTIMS
Press Release
HR/4300
SECRETARY-GENERAL APPROVES $2.5 MILLION IN GRANTS FOR TORTURE VICTIMS
19960723 GENEVA, 18 July (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture will provide $2.5 million in subsidies to assist torture victims, through 96 projects around the world. The Secretary-General has approved the disbursement, which was recommended by the Fund's Board of Trustees during its recent session, held at Geneva from 21 to 31 May.The Fund, established by the General Assembly in 1981, aims at providing torture victims and their families with medical, psychological, social, legal and economic aid. From 1983 to 1996, it has financed more than 644 requests for assistance, providing aid to 255 organizations for victims in some 60 countries. Among other things, those projects support the specialized training of medical and social professionals and volunteers.
With only $330,000 available by March for new grants, the Commission on Human Rights appealed to governments, organizations and individuals to contribute to the Fund, if possible, on a regular basis and annually before the meeting of the Board (resolution 1996/33). In response, a number of governments paid their contributions prior to the start of the Board's May session. Nevertheless, even with a contribution of $1.5 million from the United States -- its third in that amount since 1994 -- the Board was only able to grant half of the $5.3 million in requests it had received.
The governments which paid their contributions prior to the start of the May session were: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, United Kingdom and United States. During that session, the Board also assessed the implementation of projects it has subsidized, hearing nine persons who are responsible for 23 projects.
Since its establishment, the Fund has received contributions on a regular or intermittent basis from: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States and Yugoslavia.
- 2 - Press Release HR/4300 23 July 1996
The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture is administered by the Secretary-General, with the advice of a Board of Trustees consisting of five members with wide experience in the field of human rights, acting in their personal capacities. The current members of the Board are: Jaap Walkate, Chairman (Netherlands); Elisabeth Odio-Benito (Costa Rica); Ribot Hatano (Japan); Ivan Tosevski (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and Amos Wako (Kenya).
The United Nations has been dealing with the question of torture since 1948, when it was banned under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, as well as by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Those texts were followed in 1966 by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in 1984 by the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. However, despite such repeated prohibitions under international law, torture remains a widespread phenomenon. The struggle for its eradication, therefore, continues.
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