A draft optional protocol to the world’s major anti-torture pact aimed at allowing experts to visit prisons has been endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) following two rounds of voting on the matter.
A draft optional protocol to the world’s major anti-torture pact aimed at allowing experts to visit prisons has been endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) following two rounds of voting on the matter.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Council recommended that the General Assembly adopt the draft optional protocol to the Convention against Torture as a means of establishing a system of regular visits by independent bodies to centres where people are deprived of their liberty, in order to prevent torture and other cruel punishment.
Eight countries – Australia, China, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, Libya, Nigeria and the Sudan – voted against the draft text, while ten – Bhutan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, the Russian Federation, the United States and Zimbabwe – abstained on the measure, which passed after 35 countries cast their ballots in favour.
The vote was taken after ECOSOC members defeated an amendment proposed by the United States that would have re-opened negotiations on the text of the draft protocol. That proposed amendment was defeated by a vote of 15 in favour to 29 against, with 8 abstentions.
Following the decision, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, issued a statement in Geneva welcoming the Council’s endorsement as “an important step towards the establishment of a new international mechanism to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” She voiced hope that the General Assembly would make the concept a reality.
In another action on Wednesday, ECOSOC voted 46 in favour to one against (United States), with one abstention (Australia), to adopt a resolution demanding that that Israel comply fully with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.