The medical aspects of the UN Convention against Torture.

Introduction The Committee against Torture (CAT), is one of seven treaty bodies in the UN system. Table 1 gives an overview of the treaty bodies: when they entered into force, the number of experts and the number of State Parties to the Convention. A treaty body is “a committee of independent experts appointed to monitor the implementation by States Parties of the core international human rights treaties. They are called “treaty bodies” because each is created in accordance with the provisions of the treaty, which it oversees. In many important respects, they are independent of the United Nations system, although they receive support from the United Nations Secretariat and report to the General Assembly”1. The UN Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) was adopted in 1984 and entered into force on 26 June 1987. The CAT consist of ten experts nominated and elected by the State Parties, consideration being given to equitable geographical distribution and to the usefulness of the participation of some persons having legal experience. The experts should be of high moral standing and recognized competence in the field of human rights and serve in their personal capacity (article 17 of the Convention)2. The Committee meets twice a year in Geneva. When a State Party has ratified the Convention it becomes legally binding and the Convention must be implemented in the national law. The Convention has 33 articles: 1-16 contain the substantive part, 17-24 deal with the mandate and 25–33 deal with technical matters. Since its first meeting in CAT in 1987, and up to now, one of the ten members has been a medical doctor. These medical members were also members of the European Council of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), and consultants at the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT). The work in CPT and IRCT gave first hand information on the medical consequences of torture The medical aspects of the UN Convention against Torture