United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

The United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is an observance dedicated to showing solidarity with those who have endured torture and to remind the global community of the ongoing responsibility to prevent and condemn this abuse of human rights. This observance highlights the importance of offering care and rehabilitation services to survivors and their families aiming to restore their lives in the aftermath of these horrendous acts. It is also an essential call for education and awareness regarding the absolute prohibition of torture in all its forms under international laws and agreements.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution to establish the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in 1997 to commemorate the entry into force of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on the same date ten years earlier. As a progressive and inclusive nation, Canada is committed to actively upholding these international laws against torture and supporting the survivors on their road to healing. The observance serves as an important reminder for Canadians to actively call for the protection of human rights, both within the country and globally.

In Canada, various civil society organizations, educational institutions, and government bodies participate in the observance by organizing awareness campaigns, seminars, and workshops to foster a better understanding of the issue and to promote the protection of human rights. Some engage with the rehabilitation of torture survivors, offering specialized services to help them overcome the trauma and reintegrate into society. United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is observed annually in Canada on June 26th, offering a crucial opportunity to stand in unity against the atrocious act of torture and to reaffirm the country's commitment to a humane, compassionate world.

Facts & quotes about victims of torture

• The term torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions - UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
• Torturers must never be allowed to get away with their crimes, and systems that enable torture should be dismantled or transformed - UN Secretary-General António Guterres
• The UN not only supports victims themselves but also their family members who might be affected by the trauma.
• Canada has also been a staunch financial supporter of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. In 2019 alone, Canada contributed approximately 450,000 Canadian dollars to the fund.
• Canada signed OPCAT in 2006, which requires member countries to establish a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) to inspect places of detention to prevent torture.

In the News and Trending in Canada for United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Top things to do in Canada for this observance

• Watch the UN's video on torture and how it is done in secret.
• Learn more about the UN's fund for victims of torture.
• Watch a documentary to learn about victims of torture in Canada. Here are our recommendations:
  1. The Sleep Room (1998) - This film is a true story about the abusive psychiatric experiments conducted on patients in Montreal during the 1950s and 1960s.
  2. The Secret Trial 5 (2014) - A documentary about five Muslim men who have been detained for years in Canada under a security certificate, without ever being charged or having access to the evidence against them.
  3. You Don't Like the Truth: 4 Days Inside Guantanamo (2010) - This documentary features seven hours of video footage depicting the interrogation of Canadian citizen Omar Khadr when he was only 16 years old. The footage exposes the psychological torture and injustice he faced during his time at Guantanamo Bay.
• Read a book that discusses human rights and torture. Here are our suggestions:
  1. The United Nations and Human Rights: A Guide for a New Era by Julie Mertus
  2. The United Nations Convention against Torture: A Commentary by Manfred Nowak and Elizabeth Mcarthur-With Asylum Research Consultancy
  3. International Human Rights Law: Returning to Universal Principles by Mark Gibney