Australia’s twice extended deadline for torture prevention is today, but we’ve missed it again

Wed, 1 Feb 2023 19:31:31 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/australias-twice-extended-deadline-for-torture-prevention-is-today-but-weve-missed-it-again-197793>

"Today marks the (already twice extended) deadline for Australia to meet its
international obligation to implement torture prevention bodies. The role of
these bodies is to monitor treatment and conditions in places where people are
deprived of their liberty, like prisons and detention centres.

This obligation arises from the United Nations’ Optional Protocol to the
Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment
, to which the Australian government voluntarily signed up in 2017.
The protocol aims to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places of
detention, rather than responding to allegations after an incident.

However, despite Australia initially postponing fulfilling its obligation by
three years, then securing a further one-year extension, it has not honoured
its commitment. And while there are no formal enforcement mechanisms to ensure
compliance, there are risks for Australia’s reputation, including its standing
as a country with robust human rights protections."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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