Committee against Torture Opens its Seventy-Eighth Session in Geneva

The Committee against Torture this morning opened its seventy-eighth session, which is being held in Geneva from 30 October to 24 November, during which it will review efforts by Burundi, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, Kiribati and Slovenia to implement the provisions of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 

Mahamane Cisse-Gouro, Director of the Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Representative of the Secretary-General, congratulated Committee members Claude Heller, Erdogan Iscan and Ana Racu, who were re-elected, and said he looked forward to meeting the two new Committee members, Contesse Singh and Vedel Kessing, who would commence their terms next year.  He also thanked the members of the Committee who would be completing their term of office at the end of this year, Ilvija Puce and Sebastien Touze. 

An informal briefing by the High Commissioner for Human Rights with States on the treaty body strengthening process would take place on Wednesday, 1 November in Geneva, which would provide an opportunity for States to share their views on the Office’s “Working Paper,” which contained options and guiding questions for the development of an implementation plan for the conclusions of the treaty body Chairs to strengthen predictability, harmonisation and digital shift.  It was hoped these exchanges would facilitate a consensus among States on the options for reform and in the lead-up to the biannual General Assembly resolution on treaty bodies in December 2024.

Mr. Cisse-Gouro drew the attention of the Committee to a guidance document published by the Office of the High Commissioner on online hearings in justice systems, which provided expert advice on the types of hearings that may be appropriately dealt with online.  Another recent publication was the guidance document ‘Mental health, human rights and legislation’, published jointly by the World Health Organization and the Office, which addressed, among others, the issues of coercive practices and involuntary treatments in mental health care, and the lack of free and informed consent for the treatment of persons with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities.  He also drew attention to the thematic study on the global trade in weapons, equipment and devices used by law enforcement and other public authorities that were capable of inflicting torture and other ill-treatment, contained in the report presented this month to the General Assembly by the Special Rapporteur on torture.

The latest annual report of the Secretary-General on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations highlighted the preventive measures put in place by the Committee, following fear of reprisals expressed by civil society organizations for their engagement with the Committee.  The Committee was complimented for its continued attention to these situations and the preventive measures taken.  Mr. Cisse-Gouro said the countdown was on to Human Rights Day, and invited the Committee to continue actively participating in the campaign.  He wished them a successful and productive session.

Claude Heller, Committee Chairperson, thanked Mr. Cisse-Gouro for his kind words to all the Committee members.  During the session, the Committee would review the reports of Burundi, Costa Rica, Denmark, Egypt, Kiribati and Slovenia.  The Committee would also consider individual communications, and report on follow-up to concluding observations.  Mr. Heller thanked States, national human rights organizations, civil society organizations and the Secretariat for their support to the Committee.

The Committee adopted its provisional agenda for the session.

Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s seventy-eighth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public on Tuesday, 31 October, at 10 a.m. to consider the third periodic report of Burundi (CAT/C/BDI/).

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