Seminar on UN Convention Against Torture ends in Accra
A two-day seminar on “Promoting the implementation of the UN Convention against torture” has ended in Accra.
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Participants discussed the need for states to take legislative and other national measures to prevent torture in accordance with the relevant provisions of the UN Convention Against Torture (UNCAT).
The seminar, held under the auspices of the government of Ghana and the cross-regional core group of the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI), brought together participants from Chile, Denmark, Indonesia, Morocco, Ghana and the CTI secretariat.
Ghana committed
Opening the seminar, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, said Ghana remained committed to the overall objectives of the CTI.
She noted that even though torture was prohibited under international law, the reality was that the phenomenon of torture continued in many countries whether in peace time or in times of violent conflicts.
“Therefore, it is not enough and should not be enough to have the conviction to fight torture. Such conviction must be backed by the requisite training to acquire in-depth knowledge of the provisions of the UNCAT and the African Charter,” Mrs Appiah-Opong said.
Respect for human rights
Mrs Appiah-Opong announced that the government of Ghana had adopted and implemented certain initiatives to prevent torture, citing the Justice for All programme, which she said had resulted in the release of a number of detainees who had otherwise been remanded or forgotten in prison custody, in some cases for over a decade without trial.
She gave an assurance that “Ghana stands ready to collaborate with other states and experts to ensure that appropriate legislation and other measures are adopted in our respective countries to prevent acts of torture in any territory under our respective jurisdiction”.
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The minister said such a legislation should ensure among other things that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever or no order from a superior officer or public authority might be invoked as justification for torture.
atification of UNCTA
In his opening remarks, Ghana’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Sammie Eddico, announced that the CTI envisioned that by 2024, the universal ratification of the UNCTA would be a reality.
He said currently, eight countries in sub-Sharan Africa were yet to ratify the convention, adding, “We aim to support these states in the coming years to ratify the CAT.”
The Secretary General of the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), Mr Mark Thomson, stressed the need for adequate legal framework so that the judges would be informed when delivering a judgement.
He said the challenge was how to ensure that people in detention were treated fairly.