OHCHR | Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Introduction

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1985/33, decided to appoint an expert, a special rapporteur, to examine questions relevant to torture. The mandate was extended for 3 years by Human Rights Council resolution 34/19 in March 2017.

It covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The mandate comprises three main activities:

1) transmitting urgent appeals to States with regard to individuals reported to be at risk of torture, as well as communications on past alleged cases of torture;
2) undertaking fact-finding country visits; and
3) submitting annual reports on activities, the mandate and methods of work to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

Unlike the complaints mechanisms of the human rights treaty monitoring bodies, the Special Rapporteur does not require the exhaustion of domestic remedies to act. When the facts in question come within the scope of more than one mandate established by the Commission, the Special Rapporteur may decide to approach other thematic mechanisms and country rapporteurs with a view to sending joint communications or seeking joint missions.

Latest reports

Relevance of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to the context of domestic violence - A/74/148
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Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/HRC/40/59
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Visit to Serbia and Kosovo - Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/HRC/40/59/Add.1
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Visit to Argentina - Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/HRC/40/59/Add.2
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Visit to Ukraine - Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/HRC/40/59/Add.3
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Interim report of the UNSRT:Seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: reaffirming and strengthening the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/73/207
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Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/HRC/37/50
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Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment on his mission to Turkey - A/HRC/37/50/Add.1
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Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment - A/72/178
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More reports of the Special Rapporteur ....