Military

U.S. Opposes Additional U.N. Torture Oversight Group

(Committee Against Torture is preferred investigative organ) (460)
The United States opposes the creation of an additional oversight
group to investigate charges of torture under the U.N. Convention
Against Torture, according to a State Department fact sheet released
November 4.
The Draft Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture would
establish a new oversight organization that would be independent from
the existing Committee Against Torture. This new organ would schedule
prison investigations of States Parties to the U.N. treaty in advance
and on a rotating basis, according to the fact sheet, and "many of the
worst human rights offenders would not be subject to its provisions."
Following is the text of the fact sheet:
(begin fact sheet)
U.S. Department Of State
Bureau of International Organization Affairs
November 4, 2002
FACT SHEET
The United States' Commitment To Fight Torture
The U.S. Commitment: The United States condemns unequivocally the
despicable practice of torture. We have fought to eliminate it around
the world. Political will is critical. The United States has led
international efforts to put pressure on governments to publicly
condemn torture; enact legislation; investigate and prosecute abusive
officials; train law enforcement officers and medical personnel, and
provide compensation and rehabilitation for victims.
International Organizations:
At the international level, the U.S. has strongly supported the work
of the U.N. special rapporteur against torture, who regularly visits
nations to ensure compliance with international norms. The U.S. is a
Party to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, which 130 other nations
have ratified. The Convention establishes the Committee Against
Torture, which considers complaints and conducts visits to countries
where torture is alleged. In addition, the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian organizations conduct
visits to prisons and other places of detention in an effort to
prevent or remedy torture. The U.S. is the world s largest donor to
the U.N. Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture; we contributed $5
million in fiscal year 2002.
Draft Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (DOPCAT):
The DOPCAT would establish a new international oversight body,
independent from the Committee Against Torture, which would be
required to inspect detention facilities in all nations that are
States Parties to the protocol. Such visits to these countries would
be scheduled in advance on a rotating basis, rather than conducted on
an ad hoc basis. Because of the optional nature of this treaty, many
of the worst human rights offenders would not be subject to its
provisions. The U.S. opposes funding this program through the U.N.
regular budget, which would require the United States to pay 22
percent of the total implementation costs. Only parties to the
protocol should pay implementation costs. The proposed DOPCAT regime
represents a potential diversion of resources from the work of other
more results-oriented bodies, including the U.N. Committee Against
Torture. Because the United States abhors torture, we seek the
strongest means to end this terrible practice. The DOPCAT does not
accomplish that.
(end fact sheet)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)