On 17 March, His Excellency Ambassador Omar Zniber, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations in Geneva, delivered a statement on behalf of the Core States of the Convention against Torture Initiative – Chile, Denmark, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco – during the General Debate on Item 3 of the 52^nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Thank you, Mr. President,

I have the pleasure of speaking on behalf of the Governments of Chile, Denmark, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia and my own country Morocco as Core States of the Convention against Torture Initiative, CTI.

This year, we join the global community in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The inherent dignity of all members of the human family lies at the heart of both this Declaration and the universal prohibition against torture. The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration therefore offers us an important opportunity to reflect on achievements and challenges in the fight against torture.

The challenges are still important but we rejoice together at the achievements accomplished so far, two of them being able to celebrate recently:  the 20th anniversary of the Optional Protocol to UNCAT and the 15th anniversary of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. Moreover, over the past year, many fundamental tools have either been developed or updated, such as the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering and the updated Istanbul Protocol on Effective Investigation and Documentation, which testify of the great achievements obtained so far in the fight against torture. However, as we celebrate these milestones, we are also constantly reminded that the fight against torture is far from over. The urgency of the need for universal ratification and full implementation of UNCAT to ensure safe and peaceful societies is apparent.

In its almost 40 years of existence, UNCAT has served as a compass for the global community in preventing and responding to torture. The Convention against Torture Initiative seeks to promote and support the universal ratification and improved implementation of this crucial instrument for torture prevention.

Dedicated to this ambitious but vital objective, we are proud to say that since CTI was launched in 2014, 19 new States have ratified UNCAT. Advancing in our goal of universal ratification by 2024, we extend our continued support to States in their pathways to ratifying the Convention. Recognizing that ratification and implementation must go hand in hand, we also offer support through technical workshops, capacity-building activities, and through our tools and publications.

We look forward to continued engagement with our fellow States and partners,  working together towards a global community free from “oppression, impunity and affronts to human dignity” as envisioned by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

I thank you, Mr. President.