The document discusses the agenda item on the morality of using torture against criminals for the Kingdom of Belgium's GA-6 Legal Committee. It defines torture and notes its condemnation by Belgium and the UN. While Belgium has signed treaties against torture and mistreatment, there have been some rare incidents that violate these standards. The document cites advice that nations should not commit acts like imprisonment without trial that disrespect human rights and rule of law if they want to reduce public anger.
The document discusses the agenda item on the morality of using torture against criminals for the Kingdom of Belgium's GA-6 Legal Committee. It defines torture and notes its condemnation by Belgium and the UN. While Belgium has signed treaties against torture and mistreatment, there have been some rare incidents that violate these standards. The document cites advice that nations should not commit acts like imprisonment without trial that disrespect human rights and rule of law if they want to reduce public anger.
The document discusses the agenda item on the morality of using torture against criminals for the Kingdom of Belgium's GA-6 Legal Committee. It defines torture and notes its condemnation by Belgium and the UN. While Belgium has signed treaties against torture and mistreatment, there have been some rare incidents that violate these standards. The document cites advice that nations should not commit acts like imprisonment without trial that disrespect human rights and rule of law if they want to reduce public anger.
The document discusses the agenda item on the morality of using torture against criminals for the Kingdom of Belgium's GA-6 Legal Committee. It defines torture and notes its condemnation by Belgium and the UN. While Belgium has signed treaties against torture and mistreatment, there have been some rare incidents that violate these standards. The document cites advice that nations should not commit acts like imprisonment without trial that disrespect human rights and rule of law if they want to reduce public anger.
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 2
Name: Rahul Gabbita
Committee: GA-6 Legal
Agenda: Morality of using torture against criminals Country: Kingdom of Belgium
Torture is appalling. Torture is shocking. Torture is sickening. Electric shocks, burning, physical damage and sexual assaults - world has seen several of these inhuman and sinister acts of torture perpetrated by the state against criminals in recent times. We need not think about Auschwitz concentration camps or Japans Unit 731 of World War II. We need not think that far. And no, it is not the evil Nazis alone who did those abominable crimes. The most infamous one in recent times is the Guantanamo Bay incident involving American soldiers and the Al Qaeda suspects. However, there are several such atrocities happening across the globe in several countries. Torture can be defined as the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment. It has been used as a punishment, to intimidate or control people, to get information or just to gratify sadistic impulses. It is also one of the most serious human right violations. The Kingdom of Belgium condemns the use of torture and mistreatment and believes that its use for whatever reasons is outrageous and shameful. The Article 5 of United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. and the Kingdom of Belgium abides by the said article by letter and spirit. In a further substantiation of our philosophy to implement preventive measures against torture and other cruel punishments, Belgium has signed two important treaties to protect its citizens against torture: The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture
Despite our commitment to such lofty moral principles, there are a couple of aberrations that occurred in recent times in Belgium. The detention of El Haski and the concern expressed by European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) are two rare incidents that show Belgium in bad light by its high moral standards. The Kingdom of Belgium affirms its adherence to the Article 5 of UDHR and would always take an uncompromising stand on citizens human rights. And finally to remind all the nations which rationalize that torture is acceptable in circumstances of substantial risk and danger to national security, we cite an advice of the attorney of Guantanamo victims to the U.S government But I have some advice for the U.S. government going forward: if you don't want to "inflame the street," don't commit acts that will inflame the street. Don't imprison men for a decade without charge or trial; don't tell the world that Guantanamo inmates are "the worst of the worst," without offering any evidence to prove it. Stick to the basics: Don't torture inmates; charge them and try them in court. Show some respect for other cultures. Let rule of law be the law of the land.