Status of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

1992/25.
Status of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling, article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which provide that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Recalling also the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 3452 (XXX) of 9 December 1975, Recalling further General Assembly resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984, in which the Assembly adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and called upon all Governments to consider signing and ratifying the Convention as a matter of priority, Bearing in mind its resolution 1991/35 of 5 March 1991, Taking note of General Assembly decision 46/428 of 16 December 1991, Mindful of the relevance, for the eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (General Assembly resolution 34/169 , annex) and of the Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (General Assembly resolution 37/194 , annex), as well as of the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment (General Assembly resolution 43/173 , annex), Seriously concerned about the alarming number of cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment which continue to be reported from various parts of the world, Determined to promote full implementation of the prohibition, under international and national law, of the practice of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Considering the important functions of the Committee against Torture under the Convention, Recalling its decision, in resolution 1985/33 of 13 March 1985, to appoint a special rapporteur to examine questions relevant to torture, and its subsequent decisions to continue his mandate,

1. Welcomes the report of the Committee against Torture on its fifth and sixth sessions (A/46/46);

2. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1992/15) on the status of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

3. Stresses the importance of strict adherence by States parties to the obligations under the Convention regarding the financing of the Committee against Torture, thus enabling it to carry out in an effective and efficient manner all the functions entrusted to it under the Convention so as to ensure the long-term viability of the Committee as an essential mechanism for overseeing the effective implementation of the provisions of the Convention;

4. Urges States parties that have not yet paid their assessed contributions to fulfil their obligations forthwith;

5. Requests the Secretary-General, to ensure the provision of appropriate staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Committee against Torture;

6. Urges all States to become parties to the Convention as a matter of priority;

7. Invites all States ratifying or acceding to the Convention and those States parties that have not yet done so to make the declaration provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention, and to consider the possibility of withdrawing their reservations to article 20;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue submitting to the Commission on Human Rights annual reports on the status of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

9. Decides to consider the report of the Secretary-General at its forty-ninth session under the agenda sub-item "Status of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment".

47th meeting
28 February 1992
[Adopted without a vote. See chap. X.]