Pacific:UN report identifies successes in torture prevention

13 December 2011

UN report identifies successes in torture prevention in the Pacific

Saturday 10 December was International Human Rights Day. Sixty three years ago the international community, through the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the founding document for all human rights. To mark the significance of this day the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Regional Office for the Pacific today launched Torture prevention in the Pacific: sharing good experiences and lessons learnt, a report looking at initiatives to prevent torture and ill-treatment in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu. It follows a study in 2009 by OHCHR into the legislative and non-legislative measures in place for preventing torture and ill-treatment of detainees in the countries of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Matilda Bogner, Regional Representative of OHCHR’s Pacific Office, said:
“Our report reveals some good practices that prevent torture and ill-treatment in the Pacific, many of which had not been widely shared among Pacific Island countries despite an interest in learning through Pacific examples. We hope that these good experiences can be shared and built upon across the region. Different countries are doing interesting and important work in ensuring that police and correctional officers are aware of relevant standards and accountable for the work that they do.”

Ms Bogner says that this report builds on the strong legal base that many Pacific Island countries have for the prevention of torture. “Most Pacific Island Forum countries prohibit the use of torture, either through their constitutions or other laws in place, so it is important to ensure that practice is brought in line with the laws that are in place. Justice and security sector reform need to include the practical side of ensuring accountability,” she said.

This report finds that ratifying the Convention against Torture (CAT) is a fundamental step towards preventing torture and ill-treatment. However, only Australia, New Zealand, and Vanuatu have ratified the Convention itself. Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which sets up a system of national and international monitoring of places of detention, is also a very practical step that can be taken to help prevent torture. The report outlines how New Zealand implemented the Optional Protocol within existing budgets.

The report findings suggest that security force abuses in the Pacific have contributed, and continue to contribute, to state instability and public insecurity in many countries. Successful reforms have put in place transparent processes for holding officials accountable through both internal structures, as well as independent oversight mechanisms. The report finds that civil society has played a key role in promoting accountability in the justice and security sector. Further, the report notes that an increased investment in human rights monitoring and documenting activities by civil society could improve and consolidate justice and security sector reform and improve torture prevention efforts.

The report examines the prevention of torture in Vanuatu, looking both at its ratification of the CAT and penal reform. It discusses Tonga’s experience with torture prevention within its recent police reform, and it explores Papua New Guinea’s Ombudsman’s activities within the country’s broader police reform. The report concludes with lessons learnt with a particular emphasis on the role of human rights within justice and security sector reform and the role of the nongovernmental sector.

• OHCHR leads global Human Rights efforts and works to promote and protect the Human Rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.

• OHCHR is headed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, who coordinates Human Rights activities throughout the UN System and supervises the Human Rights Council.

• OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific covers 16 countries: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

ENDS

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