Convention against Torture signed by 21 countries.

In a formal ceremony at Headquarters on 4 February, the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was opened for signature and signed by 21 countries.

The Convention, which was adopted by the General Assembly on 10 December 1984, was signed by representatives of Afghanistan, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay.

The Convention will enter into force when 20 ratifications are received.

William B. Buffun, Under-Secretary-General for Political and General Assembly Affairs, formally opened the Convention for signature on behalf of the Secretary-General.

"This significant new international legal instrument marks another historic step in the effort of the United Nations to fulfil the Charter's mandate to promote and protect human rights", he said.

"Torture is certainly one of the most abominable practices of our times. Although torture has been outlawed in principle by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and legally by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it continues to persist on a distressingly widespread scale.

"This Convention attempts to address the problem by strengthening the legal guarantees against torture, by rendering the relevant obligations of States more stringent and by providing for effective measures of fact-finding and supervision. Torture is now declared a punishable crime and the perpetrator of torture may be tried wherever he is found. Fact-finding is available as an integral part of the provisions of the Convention. Significant new rules and mechanisms have thus been established to continue the fight against...