UNITED NATIONS Press Release -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- xxxxxxxxxx COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE TO HOLD THIRTY-THIRD SESSION AT PALAIS DES NATIONS FROM 15 TO 26 NOVEMBER xxxxxxxxxx Committee against Torture BACKGROUND RELEASE 11 November 2004 Experts to Consider Reports of Argentina, United Kingdom and Greece The Committee against Torture will meet at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 15 to 26 November to review measures adopted by Argentina, the United Kingdom and Greece to prevent and punish acts of torture. Representatives of the three countries are expected to come before the Committee to defend national efforts to implement the rights enshrined in the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. During the two-week session, the Committee's 10 Independent Experts will consider, in closed session, information appearing to contain well-founded indications that torture is systematically being practiced in some States parties; and complaints from individuals claiming to be victims of a violation by a State party of the provisions of the Convention. The Committee was established in 1987 to monitor compliance with the Convention and to assist States parties in implementing its provisions. The Committee will consider the fourth periodic report of Argentina on 16 and 17 November. Its conclusions and recommendations on the third periodic report of Argentina, considered in November 1997, are contained in document A/53/44 paras.52- 69 (available at the following web address: www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf). The Committee will review the fourth periodic report of the United Kingdom on 17 and 18 November. It considered the United Kingdom's third periodic report in November 1998, and its conclusions and recommendations on that occasion are contained in document A/54/44 paras.72-77. The fourth periodic report of Greece will be reviewed on 22 and 23 November. Greece's third periodic report was considered by the Committee in May 2001 and its findings are contained in document A/56/44, paras.83-88. Background on Convention and Committee The Convention, adopted unanimously by the General Assembly in 1984, 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, under article 20, it provides for investigation of reliable reports of torture, including visits to the State party concerned, with its agreement, if the Committee receives reliable information, which appears to contain well-founded indications, that torture is being systematically practiced in the territory of a State party. 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. The Convention has been ratified or acceded to by the following 138 States: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen and Zambia. The following 51 States have recognized the competence of the Committee under articles 21 and 22: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela. In addition, Japan, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have recognized the competence of the Committee under article 21 only. Azerbaijan, Burundi, Guatemala, Mexico and Seychelles have recognized the competence of the Committee under article 22 only. Other United Nations Activities against Torture In addition to preventive measures, the United Nations has taken action to come to the aid of torture victims. In 1981 the General Assembly set up the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Torture. The Commission on Human Rights has repeatedly appealed to all Governments, organizations and individuals in a position to do so to contribute to the Fund in order to allow it to respond to the constantly increasing number of requests for assistance. Furthermore, on 19 April 2004, the Commission extended the mandate of its Special Rapporteur on Torture for three years, encouraging all Governments to envisage inviting him to visit their countries. Membership and Officers The Committee's members are elected by the States parties to the Convention and serve in their personal capacity. The current members of the Committee are: Guibril Camara (Senegal); Sayed Kassem el Masry (Egypt); Felice Gaer (the United States); Claudio Grossman (Chile); Fernando Mariņo Menendez (Spain); Andreas Mavrommatis (Cyprus); Julio Prado Vallejo (Ecuador); Ole Vedel Rasmussen (Denmark); Alexander M. Yakovlev (Russian Federation); and Yu Mengja (China). Provisional Timetable for Consideration of Reports In ratifying or acceding to the Convention, States are obliged to submit reports on the measures they have taken to implement its provisions. 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: Tuesday, 16 November Morning Argentina: fourth periodic report CAT/C/55/Add.7 Wednesday, 17 November Morning United Kingdom: fourth periodic report CAT/C/67/Add.2 Afternoon Argentina (continued) Thursday, 18 November Afternoon United Kingdom (continued) Monday, 22 November Morning Greece: fourth periodic report CAT/C/61/Add.1 Tuesday, 23 November Afternoon Greece (continued)
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