COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE OPENS FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION

The Committee against Torture this morning opened its fifty-eighth session, hearing a statement by Simon Walker, Chief of the Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Section, Human Rights Treaties Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and adopting its agenda.

Mr. Walker stated that since the previous meeting of the Committee, the Special Court in Senegal had handed down its conviction of the former President of Chad, Hissene Habre, for crimes against humanity, summary executions, torture and rape. Victims had played a significant role by filing the complaint against Mr. Habre in Chad, Senegal and Belgium, as well as before the Committee. The Committee had also played a meaningful role in asserting and guaranteeing the principles of universal jurisdiction. In 2001, the Committee had called on Senegal to take all necessary measures to prevent Mr. Habre from leaving the territory of Senegal, except pursuant to an extradition demand. The Committee had also called on Senegal to submit the case to its competent authorities for the purpose of prosecution. Since then, the Committee had been actively engaged in the follow-up with the Senegalese authorities. It was hoped that the 2016 verdict would inspire others to pursue justice and combat impunity in spite of the many obstacles and the time and energy it required to do.

Mr. Walker said that the twenty-eighth meeting of Treaty Body Chairpersons had taken place in New York from 30 May to 3 June. The Chairs had adopted recommendations, inter alia, to inform the General Assembly of overdue reports to the treaty bodies, to ensure the implementation by all treaty bodies of the San Jose Guidelines, to consider a common treaty body approach to engagement with national human rights institutions, and to continue dialogue and exchange of views on practices and jurisprudence on remedies.

The Committee then proceeded to adopt the agenda of the session.

The Committee will next meet in public today at 3 p.m., to start considering the third periodic report of Kuwait (CAT/C/KWT/3).

During the session, the Committee will review reports of Kuwait, Honduras, Burundi and Mongolia. The detailed programme of work, along with the links to the related documentation, is available in the background press release.


For use of the information media; not an official record

CAT16/0