The EU Guidelines against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment serve to protect and promote human rights in third countries.
Adopted in 2001 and revised in 2008, the Guidelines do not create new legal obligations, but are the expression of a political commitment to carry out systematic and sustained action in the fight against torture.
The Guidelines foresee the use of all available tools of diplomacy and cooperation in pursuit of the EU’s objectives, most notably political dialogue, diplomatic representations and assistance to NGO projects through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).
Among other things, they aim to:
Make periodic reports on the situation of this issue in non-member states.
Promote the ratification of international instruments against torture.
Promote the role of and cooperation with different mechanisms for international monitoring, such as the Special Rapporteur and the UN Committee Against Torture.
Promote the adoption of mechanisms for monitoring detention centers, as well as for national legal recourse for detainees.
Take steps or make declarations to denounce confirmed cases of torture, or applaud positive developments on this subject, in non-member states.
Tackle this issue in contacts with non-member countries and in international fora.
Collaborate with civil society in meetings and trainings on this subject.
FIACAT works for the effective implementation of this instrument. It participates in the diffusion and appropriation of these Guidelines by fieldworkers. In addition, FIACAT has actively participated in their revision since 2007.
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