Under certain circumstances, the CAT may consider complaints or communications from individuals claiming that their rights under the Convention have been violated. The Committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of 'concluding observations'. Upon ratifying the Convention, States must submit a report within one year, after which they are obliged to report every four years. All-State parties are obliged under the Convention to submit regular reports to the CAT on how the rights are being implemented. The Committee Against Torture (CAT) is a body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention by State parties. The Optional Protocol to such Convention (OPCAT, 2006) is an important addition to the United Nations Convention.

Torture is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. The Convention gave for the first time in history a definition of psychological torture: As of May 2015, the Convention has 158 state parties.

26 June is now recognized as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, in honor of the Convention. The text of the Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1984 and, following ratification by the 20th state party, it came into force on 26 June 1987. The Convention requires states to take effective measures to prevent torture in any state under their jurisdiction, and forbids states to transport people to any country where there is a reason to believe torture could occur. The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture) is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world. United Nations Convention against Torture 1 United Nations Convention against Torture.How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.Īnd the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.Īnd cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.įor I have five brethren that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.Īnd, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Torment definition