ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, UN CHIEF, RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE BROAD SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 26 Jun 2013 10:00:01 -0400
Subject: ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, UN CHIEF, RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE BROAD
SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF TORTURE
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

ON INTERNATIONAL DAY, UN CHIEF, RIGHTS EXPERTS URGE BROAD SUPPORT FOR
VICTIMS OF TORTURENew York, Jun 26 2013 10:00AMTo mark the
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon 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 <" http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13482&LangID=E">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.Jun 26 2013 10:00AM
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