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Special
Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment
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Introduction
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1985/33,
decided to appoint an expert, a special rapporteur, to examine questions
relevant to torture. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur covers all
countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment.
The mandate comprises three main activities: transmitting urgent appeals
to States with regard to individuals reported to be at risk of torture, as
well as communications on past alleged cases of torture; undertaking
fact-finding country visits; and submitting annual reports on activities,
the mandate and methods of work to the Human Rights
Council and the General Assembly.
Unlike the complaints mechanisms of the human rights treaty monitoring
bodies, the Special Rapporteur does not require the exhaustion of domestic
remedies to act. When the facts in question come within the scope of more
than one mandate established by the Commission, the Special Rapporteur may
decide to approach other thematic mechanisms and country rapporteurs with a
view to sending joint communications or seeking joint missions.
- Mr. Manfred Nowak, (Austria), 2004 -
present
- Mr. Theo van Boven, (Netherlands),
2001 - 2004
- Sir. Nigel S.
Rodley (United Kingdom), 1993-2001
- Sr. Peter
Kooijmans (Netherlands), 1985-1993
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