Prof. Diego Rodríguez-Pinzon participated as an invited expert to the “Pacific Learning Exchange on the United Nations Convention against Torture”
Prof. Diego Rodríguez-Pinzón participated as an invited expert in the "Pacific Learning Exchange on the UN Convention against Torture" which took place in Natadola, Fiji, from June 12 to14 2023. The event featured several high-level representatives from island states in the Pacific Region in a three-day meeting. The main objective of this initiative is to build the case for United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) ratification, with a view to Pacific-wide ratification, including raising awareness of the benefits of accession, developing skills in the preparation of submissions to Cabinet, and sharing experiences on promising practices in UNCAT implementation. In addition, the preparation of initial country reports to the Committee against Torture was promoted, reflecting on how Small Island Developing States (SIDS) can accomplish this task with limited capacities.
The exchange took place in the context of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which notably paved the way for the development of international human rights law and treaties, including the UNCAT and the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). In the Pacific, there has been a growing regional commitment to combating torture and other ill-treatment, with 8 of the 16 countries in the Pacific having ratified or acceded to the UNCAT: Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Samoa and Vanuatu. Among them, Australia, Nauru and New Zealand have also ratified the OPCAT. Despite this positive momentum, there is still a long way to go, as several countries in the Pacific have not yet ratified the Convention and the OPCAT.
The "Pacific Learning Exchange on the United Nations Convention against Torture" was organized by the Government of Fiji, as the Central State of the Convention Against Torture Initiative (CTI), and in a joint effort between the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Anti-Torture Initiative (ATI) and the Human Rights and Social Development Division of the Pacific Community (HRSD).