Commission supports rooting out torture

On the occasion of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the European Commission and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) are backing efforts in five countries - Morocco, Mexico, Georgia, Sri Lanka and Uganda - to crack down on torture. The initiative aims to begin the implementation of the Istanbul Protocol in these countries. The Protocol is a manual on the "Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment", which the Commission is supporting with € 991,413.

EU support for the project reflects the importance attached to the Istanbul Protocol within the EU's strategy to fight torture across the world. In the Guidelines to EU policy towards third countries on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, adopted by the General Affairs Council in April 2001, the EU pledges to urge third countries to take a wide range of measures to combat torture, including conducting prompt, impartial and effective investigations of allegations of torture and operating effective domestic procedures for responding to reports of torture in accordance with the Protocol.

In 1997, the United Nations General Assembly officially proclaimed 26th June as the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The IRCT has co-ordinated for the last 6 years the global campaign 'Together Against Torture' to commemorate this important day. The campaign is funded by the European Commission and involves the direct participation of more than 300 organisations in 96 countries. The EU has a long history of funding projects to prevent torture and support the rehabilitation of torture victims through the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) that in 2002 funded projects worldwide for a total budget of € 25 million.

The IRCT is an independent, international health professional organisation, which promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture worldwide. IRCT partners for this project are the World Medical Association, the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, and Physicians for Human Rights USA.


For the French text please see:

http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/904|0|RAPID&lg=FR

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