In a statement delivered at the 55th Human Rights Council General Segment, Maryam Al-Attiyah, Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), emphasized the significance of the 40th anniversary of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment. She stressed the importance of upholding the principles of human dignity, justice, and prevention of cruelty enshrined in the Convention.
To commemorate this milestone, GANHRI, in collaboration with its partners, will launch a year-long campaign to promote the ratification and implementation of the Convention and its Optional Protocol. The campaign will also celebrate and showcase positive experiences and good practices of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) at the domestic level.
Al-Attiyah underscored the crucial role that NHRIs play in the global effort to eradicate torture, describing them as “indispensable pillars” in building a world free from this scourge. She referenced the Kiyv-Copenhagen Declaration, adopted last November at the 14th International Conference of NHRIs on Torture and Ill-Treatment, which saw NHRIs from across regions commit to redoubling their efforts to prevent and address torture and other ill-treatment.
The declaration outlines a range of practical actions that NHRIs will undertake as part of their promotion, prevention, and protection work on torture and other ill-treatment, guided by a victim-centered approach and a particular focus on the rights of vulnerable individuals.
Al-Attiyah reiterated GANHRI’s call to states to protect and strengthen existing NHRIs and to establish Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs where they do not yet exist. GANHRI remains committed to supporting NHRIs worldwide in their mission to uphold the rights and dignity of all individuals.
Acknowledgement: Published at GANHRI on February 28, 2024