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CAT

Committee Against Torture

President: Eirik Alvin Otto Halvorsen de la Peña 

Chair: Oscar Avila Pérez, Fernanda Cisneros Farfán, Sofía Villanueva Martínez, Asdrubal Guiseppe Chávez Alonso, Karla Campos Ronquillo. 

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Topic A) Measures to stop torture and other offences to human rights by the militant group Boko Haram in the Federal Republic of Nigeria

 

Topic B) Strategies to eradicate actions of torture and crimes against humanity towards prisoners in penal institutions in the Arab Republic of Syria perpetrated by the prison personnel

Background and faculties

By the article 17 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Committee Against Torture (CAT) was established in 1988 with the aim to eradicate the practice of torture in the world. The commission is conformed by 10 experts on human rights who fulfill the purpose of a monitoring body upon its State Parties, where the State Parties must report within one year of ratifying the Convention, subsequently every four years the actions taken to ensure protection for all persons against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment as well as punishment, and other cruelty. Besides the examination of reports from each State Party, the Committee works on several different activities such as adoption of general comments, consideration of individual communications and the undertaking of inquiries.

With the goal of protecting all persons against any form of torture or other cruelty; the Committee Against Torture is enabled to:

  • Advise States Parties on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and may cooperate with other international, regional, and national bodies to promote the objectives of the Convention;

  • Initiate confidential inquiries when it receives reliable information indicating that torture is being systematically practiced in a State Party;

  • Assist States in developing and strengthening their mechanisms to prevent and respond to torture, providing technical assistance and guidance;

  • Request States to take interim measures to prevent irreparable harm to the complainant while a case is under consideration;

  • Provide authoritative guidance by giving general comments on the interpretation and application of specific provisions of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

  • Conduct on-site visits with the consent of the State Party to investigate allegations of systematic torture.

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