UK's Malloch-Brown On Int'l Day Against Torture

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK)

International day against torture

Lord Malloch- Brown Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN said;

"On the International Day Against Torture I would like to reiterate the UK's fundamental opposition to torture. We continue to campaign for wider ratification of the Convention Against Torture and its Optional Protocol and the eradication of this abhorrent practice. I would like to congratulate Guatemala on recently becoming the 35th state to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture. In the past year the UK has committed over 1/2 million pounds to projects which prevent torture and support its victims."

NOTES

Our embassies take practical steps to help victims of torture. Below are three examples of projects the UK has funded.

In Brazil, over the last two years the FCO has funded training for more than 40 forensic police officers who are now able to train others how to identify and investigate allegations of torture.

In Russia we fund a wide variety of projects. One is creating a network of schools to train public inspectors so they can monitor prisons for human rights abuses. Another is allowing NGOs to bring human rights test cases against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights.

In Zimbabwe we support a number of courageous local organisations who assist victims of state violence.

COI ref 162611P

ENDS

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