June 24, 2005 (3:45 p.m. EDT)
No. 117

CANADA MARKS UN INTERNATIONAL DAY
IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE

Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today expressed Canada’s support for the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Each year, on June 26, the date in 1987 that the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment entered into force, thousands of people from around the world speak out against torture.

“The use of torture is unacceptable and must not go unchallenged,” said Minister Pettigrew. “Canada is fully committed to the elimination of torture, to investigating suspected cases of torture, and to supporting torture victims. We are working to strengthen both international law and monitoring capacities in order to prevent and punish acts of torture wherever they occur.”

One of the first countries to ratify the UN Convention against Torture, Canada encourages states to become parties to the Convention.

In order to prevent torture in places of detention, Canada has national and provincial mechanisms in place, such as human rights commissions, correctional investigators, police oversight agencies and ombudspersons.

Under the Convention, states parties are required to submit reports every four years. Canada’s fourth and fifth reports were examined by the Committee against Torture on May 4, 2005, in Geneva, Switzerland.

For more information on Canada’s contribution to the elimination of torture worldwide, visit: http://www.humansecurity.gc.ca.

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For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca