An international symposium on the UN convention against torture was jointly organized by the Executive Yuan, European Economic and Trade Office and locally based NGO Covenants Watch June 26 in Taipei City, underscoring commitment by Taiwan and the EU to promoting human rights.
Held on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the one-day event aimed to facilitate exchange of views among experts, policymakers, government and civil society representatives from both sides as well as other like-minded partners.
During his opening remarks, Minister Without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng said the government has implemented reforms and regulatory amendments to strengthen individuals’ protections, especially those deprived of their liberty.
All these measures reflect Taiwan’s resolution to prohibit and prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, he added, citing the U.N. International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.
Echoing Lo’s remarks, Control Yuan President Chen Chu said experts have visited several correction facilities and juvenile placement institutions in Taiwan as part of government compliance with the U.N. Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The National Human Rights Commission is also planning seminars and training sessions in the coming weeks to pave way for the establishment of the country’s own national preventive mechanism, she added.
The event featured panel discussions for over 200 participants, as well as two speeches by Dr. Jens Modvig, medical director of the Danish Institute Against Torture and former chair of the U.N. Committee against Torture; and Dr. Dainius Puras, director of Lithuania-based Human Rights Monitoring Institute and former U.N. Special Rapporteur on the right to health. (SFC-E)
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