| Title of
the Event |
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF TORTURE |
| Date(s) of
the event(s) |
June 26, every year |
|
Objective |
- To speak out against the crime of torture and to
honour and support victims and survivors throughout
the world.
- To pay our respects to those who have endured
the unimaginable.
- This is an occasion for the world to speak up
against the unspeakable.
- Vision Statement: A world that values
and accepts shared responsibility for the
eradication of torture.
|
|
Description |
- U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, once said:
- On this International Day, we
express our solidarity with, and support for, the hundreds
of thousands of victims of torture and their family members
throughout the world who endure such suffering. We also note
the obligation of States not only to prevent torture but to
provide all torture victims with effective and prompt
redress, compensation and appropriate social, psychological,
medical and other forms of rehabilitation.
- Both the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council
have now strongly urged States to establish and support
rehabilitation centres or facilities.
- The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture
Victims (IRCT), is an independent,
international health professional organisation that promotes
and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works
for the prevention of torture worldwide. Based in Denmark,
the IRCT is the umbrella organisation for 144 independent
torture rehabilitation organisations in over 70 countries
that treat and assist torture survivors and their families.
They advocate for holistic rehabilitation for all victims of
torture, which can include access to justice, reparations,
and medical, psychological and psycho-social counselling.
- Professionals at the IRCT rehabilitation centres and
programmes provide treatment for an estimated 100,000
survivors of torture every year.
- Victims receive multidisciplinary support including
medical and psychological care and legal aid.
- The aim of the rehabilitation process is to empower
torture survivors to resume as full a life as possible.
- The work of the IRCT can be divided into three areas:
- Offering rehabilitation services to torture
survivors
- Countering impunity for perpetrators and promoting
justice for survivors
- Raising awareness among policy-makers and citizens
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