A/RES/80/198 GA
Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
80
Session
173
Yes
3
No
2
Abstentions
| Draft symbol | A/C.3/80/L.49/Rev.1 |
|---|---|
| Adopted symbol | A/RES/80/198 |
| Category | SOCIAL CONDITIONS AND EQUITY |
| P5 Positions |
|
| UN Document | A/RES/80/198 ↗ |
Vote Recorded Vote — A/80/PV.63
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Albania
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Algeria
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Andorra
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Angola
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Antigua and Barbuda
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Armenia
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Australia
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Austria
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Azerbaijan
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Bahamas
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Bahrain
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Bangladesh
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Belize
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Cameroon
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Canada
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Central African Republic
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Chad
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Chile
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China
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Colombia
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Comoros
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Congo
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Côte d'Ivoire
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Czechia
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Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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Denmark
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Djibouti
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Dominican Republic
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Ecuador
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Egypt
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El Salvador
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Equatorial Guinea
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Eritrea
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Estonia
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Eswatini
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Ethiopia
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Fiji
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Finland
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France
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Gabon
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Gambia
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Georgia
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Germany
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Ghana
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Greece
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Grenada
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Guatemala
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Guinea
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Guinea-Bissau
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Guyana
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Haiti
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Honduras
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Hungary
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Iceland
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India
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Indonesia
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Islamic Republic of Iran
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Iraq
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Ireland
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Italy
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Jamaica
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Japan
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Jordan
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Kazakhstan
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Kenya
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Kuwait
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Kyrgyzstan
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Lao People's Democratic Republic
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Latvia
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Lebanon
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Lesotho
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Liberia
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Libya
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Liechtenstein
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Luxembourg
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Malawi
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Malaysia
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Malta
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Mexico
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Micronesia (Federated States of)
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Montenegro
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Morocco
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Mozambique
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Myanmar
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Namibia
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Nepal
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Netherlands
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New Zealand
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Nigeria
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North Macedonia
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Norway
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Oman
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Pakistan
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Palau
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Panama
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Papua New Guinea
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Paraguay
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Peru
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Philippines
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Poland
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Portugal
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Qatar
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Republic of Korea
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Moldova
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Romania
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Rwanda
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Saint Kitts and Nevis
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Saint Lucia
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Samoa
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San Marino
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Saudi Arabia
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Senegal
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Serbia
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Seychelles
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Sierra Leone
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Singapore
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Slovakia
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Slovenia
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Solomon Islands
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South Africa
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South Sudan
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Spain
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Sudan
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Switzerland
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Tajikistan
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Thailand
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Togo
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Tonga
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Tuvalu
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Uganda
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Ukraine
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United Arab Emirates
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United Republic of Tanzania
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Uruguay
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Uzbekistan
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Viet Nam
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Yemen
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Zambia
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Zimbabwe
Full text of resolution
United Nations
A/RES/80/198
General Assembly
Distr.: General
22 December 2025
25-20949 (E)
*2520949*
Eightieth session
Agenda item 71 (a)
Promotion and protection of human rights: implementation of
human rights instruments
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
on 15 December 2025
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/80/545, para. 5)]
80/198. Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its previous resolutions on torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment,
Reaffirming also that no one shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment,
Recalling that freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment is a non‑derogable right under international law, including
international human rights law and international humanitarian law, which must be
respected and protected under all circumstances, including in times of international
and non‑international armed conflict or internal disturbances and tensions or any other
public emergency, that the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment is affirmed in relevant international instruments
and that legal and procedural safeguards against such acts must not be subject to
measures that would circumvent this right,
Recalling also that the prohibition of torture is a peremptory norm of
international law without territorial limitation and that international, regional and
domestic courts have recognized the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment as customary international law,
Recalling further the definition of torture contained in article 1 of the
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment1 and the obligation of States to abide strictly by the definition of torture
contained in article 1, without prejudice to any international instrument or national
_______________
1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1465, No. 24841.
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legislation which contains or may contain provisions of wider application, and
emphasizing the importance of properly interpreting and implementing the
obligations of States with respect to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment,
Recalling in particular article 2 of the Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, according to which each
State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures
to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction,
Recalling the obligation of States to investigate and prosecute all acts of torture
in accordance with relevant international law,
Recognizing that States must protect the rights of those facing criminal charges
or sentences, including the death penalty and life imprisonment without the possibility
of parole, and of other affected persons in accordance with their international
obligations,
Noting that, under the Geneva Conventions of 1949, 2 torture or inhuman
treatment are a grave breach and that, under the statute of the International Tribunal
for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International
Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991,
the statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons
Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian
Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for
Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring
States between 1 January and 31 December 1994 and the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court,3 acts of torture can constitute crimes against humanity
and, when committed in a situation of armed conflict, constitute war crimes,
Recognizing the importance of the implementation of the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, 4 which
makes a significant contribution to the prevention and prohibition of torture, including
by prohibiting secret places of detention and by ensuring legal and procedural
safeguards for persons deprived of their liberty, and encouraging all States that have
not done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the Convention,
Recognizing also the importance of the implementation of the International
Convention against the Taking of Hostages5 to the prevention of torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and encouraging all States that
have not done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to the Convention,
Recognizing further that the prevalence of corruption, including in law
enforcement and justice systems, can have a negative impact on the fight against
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including by
eroding fundamental safeguards and preventing victims of torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment from effectively seeking justice,
redress and compensation through the justice system,
Recognizing that police and other law enforcement officials play a vital role in
the protection of the right to life, liberty and security of persons, and in serving the
community and protecting all persons against acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment, and that, in the performance of their duties,
law enforcement officials are obligated to respect and protect the human rights of all
_______________
2 Ibid., vol. 75, Nos. 970–973.
3 Ibid., vol. 2187, No. 38544.
4 Ibid., vol. 2716, No. 48088.
5 Ibid., vol. 1316, No. 21931.
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persons, and in this regard recognizing the importance of promptly and impartially
investigating as well as employing non‑coercive interviewing techniques and
implementing associated legal safeguards to prevent torture and to effectively obtain
accurate and reliable information,
Recognizing also that the effective implementation of the absolute prohibition
of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment promotes,
inter alia, peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, contributes to
access to justice for all, builds effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all
levels and contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, 6
Commending the persistent efforts of victims and survivors, civil society
organizations, including non‑governmental organizations, as well as national human
rights institutions and national preventive mechanisms, and the considerable network
of centres for the rehabilitation of victims and survivors of torture, to prevent and
combat torture, to alleviate the suffering of victims and survivors of torture and to
foster their integration,
Deeply concerned that acts which can amount to torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including when committed against
persons exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and
freedom of expression, persist in all regions of the world in both peacetime and armed
conflicts,
1.
Condemns all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, including through intimidation, which are and shall remain
prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever and can thus never be justified,
and calls upon all States to implement fully the absolute and non‑derogable
prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
2.
Also condemns any action or attempt by States or public officials to
legalize, instigate, authorize, consent to or acquiesce in torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including
on grounds of national security and counter-terrorism or through judicial decisions,
and urges States to ensure the accountability of those responsible for all such acts;
3.
Stresses that States must neither punish personnel for not obeying orders
to commit or conceal acts amounting to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment nor allow pleas of respondeat superior as a criminal defence
in cases in which such orders were obeyed;
4.
Emphasizes that acts of torture or inhuman treatment are grave breaches
of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, that acts of torture and cruel treatment in armed
conflict are serious violations of international humanitarian law and in this regard
constitute war crimes, that acts of torture can constitute crimes against humanity and
that the perpetrators of all acts of torture must be prosecuted and punished, and in this
regard notes the efforts of the International Criminal Court to end impunity by seeking
to ensure accountability and punishment of perpetrators of such acts, in accordance
with the Rome Statute, bearing in mind its principle of complementarity, and
encourages States that have not yet done so to consider ratifying or acceding to the
Rome Statute;
5.
Also emphasizes that States must take persistent, determined and effective
measures to prevent and combat all acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment, stresses that all acts of torture must be made
offences under national criminal law punishable by appropriate penalties that take
_______________
6 See resolution 70/1.
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into account their grave nature, and calls upon States to prohibit under national law
acts constituting cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
6.
Recognizes that conflict-related sexual violence may amount to torture,
and encourages States to ensure that effective legislative, administrative, judicial and
other measures are taken to prevent and respond to such acts, and calls upon all States
to ensure respect for the prohibitions of sexual violence and torture during armed
conflict;
7.
Stresses that States must ensure that no statement or evidence that is
established to have been obtained as a result of torture is invoked as evidence in any
proceedings, except against a person accused of torture as evidence that the statement
or evidence was obtained, urges States to extend that prohibition to statements or
evidence obtained as a result of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
and recognizes that adequate corroboration of statements, including confessions, used
as evidence in any proceedings constitutes one safeguard for the prevention of torture
and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
8.
Urges States not to expel, return (“refouler”), extradite or in any other way
transfer a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing
that the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture, stresses the
importance of effective legal and procedural safeguards in this regard, and recognizes
that diplomatic assurances, where given, do not release States from their obligations
under international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law, in particular the
principle of non‑refoulement;
9.
Recalls that, for the purpose of determining whether there are substantial
grounds for believing that a person would be in danger of being subjected to torture,
the competent authorities shall take into account all relevant considerations,
including, where applicable, the existence in the State concerned of a consistent
pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights;
10. Urges States to ensure that border control operations and reception centres
fully comply with international human rights obligations and commitments, including
the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment;
11.
Calls upon all States to adopt and implement effective measures to prevent
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in particular
in the context of the use of force by law enforcement officials and in places of
detention and other places where persons are deprived of their liberty, including legal
and procedural safeguards, as well as to ensure that the competent judicial or
disciplinary authorities and, where relevant, the prosecution can effectively ensure
compliance with such safeguards;
12. Also calls upon all States to take effective measures to ensure that the use
of force by police and other law enforcement officials, including the use of less-lethal
weapons, is in conformity with international obligations and the principles of legality,
necessity, proportionality, accountability and non‑discrimination, and that those using
force account for each use of force, bearing in mind that lethal force may only be used
as a last resort to protect against an imminent threat to life or grievous bodily harm,
and recalls in this regard Human Rights Council resolution 46/15 of 23 March 2021;7
13. Recalls its resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988 on the Body of Principles
for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment, and in
_______________
7 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-sixth Session, Supplement No. 53
(A/76/53), chap. V., sect. A.
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this context stresses that ensuring that any individual arrested or detained is promptly
brought before a judge or other independent judicial officer in person, facilitating
access to legal counsel without delay, and permitting prompt and regular medical care,
including, where necessary, an age-, disability- and gender-responsive medical and
psychological examination that respects the inherent dignity of the person and
upholds their full human rights throughout all stages of detention, as well as regular
contact with family members, including visits by family members and independent
monitoring mechanisms, are effective measures for the prevention of torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
14. Stresses the obligation of States to ensure that all persons who are arrested
or detained are informed at the time of arrest or detention of the reasons for the arrest
or detention and are promptly informed of any charges against them, in accessible
forms of communication, including in a language that they understand, and are
provided with information about, and an explanation of, their rights and are provided
with consular notification and access, as appropriate, and calls upon States to take
steps to notify the fact of the detention to a relative or another third party;
15. Calls upon States to include education and information regarding the
absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment in the training of law enforcement personnel and other personnel
authorized to resort to force or who may be involved in the custody, interrogation or
treatment of any individual subjected to any form of arrest, detention or
imprisonment, which may include training on the use of force, all available modern
scientific methods for the investigation of crimes and the critical importance of
reporting instances of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment to superior authorities;
16. Emphasizes that States shall keep under systematic review interrogation
rules, instructions, methods and practices, as well as arrangements for the custody and
treatment of persons subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment in
any territory under their jurisdiction, and stresses the importance of the development
of domestic guidelines on the conduct of interrogations, with a view to preventing
any cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
17. Takes note with appreciation of the Principles on Effective Interviewing
for Investigations and Information-Gathering (the Méndez Principles), and encourages
States to use them as appropriate through the implementation of national measures,
including non‑coercive interviewing methods and procedural safeguards, thereby
operationalizing the presumption of innocence, ensuring that no person is subjected
to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during
questioning, as well as improving effective policing, criminal justice investigations,
prosecutions, convictions and other forms of information-gathering processes;
18. Encourages all States to take appropriate effective legislative,
administrative, judicial and other measures to apply the United Nations Standard
Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules), 8 the
United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial
Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok Rules),9 the United Nations Standard
Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (the Beijing Rules) 10 and
the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty
(the Havana Rules);11
_______________
8 Resolution 70/175, annex.
9 Resolution 65/229, annex.
10 Resolution 40/33, annex.
11 Resolution 45/113, annex.
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19. Reminds all States that prolonged incommunicado detention or detention
in secret places can facilitate the perpetration of torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment and can in itself constitute a form of such
treatment, and urges all States to respect the safeguards concerning the liberty,
security and dignity of the person and to ensure that prolonged incommunicado
detention and secret places of detention and interrogation are abolished;
20. Emphasizes that conditions of detention must respect the dignity and
human rights of persons deprived of their liberty, highlights the importance of
reflecting on this in efforts to promote respect for and protection of the rights of
persons deprived of their liberty, calls upon States to take effective measures to
address and prevent detention conditions amounting to torture or other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment, noting in this regard concerns about solitary
confinement, and encourages States to take effective measures to address
overcrowding, high incarceration rates and a shortage or lack of alternatives to
imprisonment, and neglected infrastructure, as well as practices that seek to
dehumanize or otherwise undermine the dignity of persons who are marginalized or
in vulnerable situations;
21. Recalls that the unlawful or excessive use of force by law enforcement
officials committed against persons exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly may constitute torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, and notes in this regard the Model Protocol for Law Enforcement
Officials to Promote and Protect Human Rights in the Context of Peaceful Protests;
22. Welcomes the establishment of national preventive mechanisms to prevent
torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, urges States
to consider establishing, appointing, maintaining or enhancing independent and
effective mechanisms that have experts with the required capabilities and professional
knowledge to undertake monitoring visits to places of detention and other places
under State jurisdiction and control where persons are or may be deprived of their
liberty, inter alia, with a view to preventing acts of torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment, and calls upon States Parties to the Optional
Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment12 to fulfil their obligation to designate or establish national
preventive mechanisms at the latest one year after the entry into force of the Protocol
or of its ratification or accession, that are truly independent, composed of experts with
the required capabilities and professional knowledge, and properly resourced and,
further, to consider the recommendations of such mechanisms, to encourage public
debate and to engage in constructive dialogue with such mechanisms on possible
implementation measures;
23. Calls upon all States to take appropriate effective legislative,
administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent and prohibit the production,
trade, export, import and use of equipment and technology that have no practical use
other than for the purpose of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
or punishment, and in this regard takes note of the report of the Group of
Governmental Experts pursuant to resolution 73/304 of 28 June 2019;
24. Urges States, as an important element in preventing and combating torture
and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, to ensure that no
authority or official orders, applies, permits or tolerates any sanction, reprisal,
intimidation or other prejudice against any person, group or association, including
persons deprived of their liberty, for contacting, seeking to contact or having been in
contact with any national or international monitoring or preventive body or other
_______________
12 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2375, No. 24841.
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relevant stakeholders active in the prevention and combating of torture and other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
25. Also urges States to ensure accountability for any act of sanction, reprisal,
intimidation or other form of unlawful prejudicial conduct against any person, group
or association, including persons deprived of their liberty, for cooperating, seeking to
cooperate or having cooperated with any national or international monitoring or
preventive body active in the prevention and combating of torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, by ensuring impartial, prompt,
independent and thorough investigations of any alleged act of sanction, reprisal,
intimidation or other form of unlawful prejudicial conduct; to bring the perpetrators
to justice; to provide access to effective remedies for victims, in accordance with their
international human rights obligations and commitments; and to prevent any
recurrence;
26. Calls upon States Parties to the Convention against Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to fulfil their obligation to
submit for prosecution or extradite those alleged to have committed acts of torture,
regardless of where such acts were committed, if the alleged offender is present in
any territory under their jurisdiction, and encourages other States also to do so,
bearing in mind the need to fight impunity;
27. Encourages States to consider establishing or maintaining appropriate
national processes to record allegations and cases of torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment, including through efficient and secure data
collection, processing and management systems, and to ensure that such information
is accessible and its confidentiality protected in accordance with applicable law;
28. Stresses that an independent, competent domestic authority must promptly,
effectively and impartially investigate all allegations of torture or other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as well as wherever there is
reasonable ground to believe that such an act has been committed, and that those who
encourage, instigate, order, tolerate, acquiesce in, consent to or perpetrate such acts
must be held responsible, brought to justice and punished in a manner commensurate
with the severity of the offence, including the officials in charge of any place of
detention or other place where persons are deprived of their liberty where the
prohibited act is found to have been committed;
29. Recalls, in this respect, the Principles on the Effective Investigation and
Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (the Istanbul Principles) 13 as a valuable tool in efforts to prevent and
combat torture and the updated set of principles for the protection and promotion of
human rights through action to combat impunity;14
30. Takes note with appreciation, in this respect, of the updated Manual on the
Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol) as a valuable tool to address
impunity for torture and ill-treatment by setting out international standards for the
conduct of effective legal and medico-legal investigations into allegations of torture
or ill-treatment;
31. Emphasizes that it is important for law enforcement officials to be able to
play their role in safeguarding the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and for States to ensure the proper
functioning of the criminal justice system, in particular by taking effective measures
_______________
13 Resolution 55/89, annex.
14 E/CN.4/2005/102/Add.1.
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to combat corruption, establish proper legal aid programmes and to provide for the
adequate selection, training and remuneration of law enforcement officials while fully
respecting the principles of non‑discrimination, and taking measures to improve the
representation of women and persons belonging to minorities within law enforcement
ranks whenever possible;
32. Encourages all States to ensure that persons charged with or under
investigation for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
have no involvement in the custody, interrogation or treatment of any person under
arrest, detention, imprisonment or other deprivation of liberty while such charges are
pending and, if such persons are convicted, after the conviction;
33. Calls upon all States to adopt a victim- and survivor-oriented approach in
the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment, paying special attention to the views and needs of victims and survivors
in policy development and other activities relating to rehabilitation, prevention and
accountability for torture;
34. Also calls upon all States to adopt a gender-responsive approach in the
fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
including by taking into consideration the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of
Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the Bangkok
Rules), and to pay special attention to sexual and gender-based violence;
35. Calls upon States to ensure that the rights of persons who are marginalized
and in vulnerable situations, including persons with disabilities, bearing in mind the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 15 are fully integrated into
torture prevention and protection, and welcomes the efforts of the Special Rapporteur
of the Human Rights Council on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment in this regard;
36. Stresses that national legal systems must ensure that victims of torture or
other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment have effective access to
justice and obtain redress, and that the complainants and witnesses are protected
against all ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of making a complaint or
giving evidence;
37. Calls upon States to provide redress for victims of torture or other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, encompassing effective remedy and
adequate, effective and prompt reparation, which should include restitution, fair and
adequate compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non‑repetition,
taking into full account the specific needs of the victim;
38. Urges States to ensure that appropriate rehabilitation services are promptly
available to all victims and survivors without discrimination of any kind and without
limitation in time, until the fullest rehabilitation possible has been achieved, and are
provided either directly by the public health system or through the funding of private
rehabilitation facilities, including those administered by civil society organizations,
and to consider making rehabilitation services available to the immediate families or
dependants of the victims and survivors and to persons who have suffered harm while
intervening to assist victims and survivors in distress or to prevent victimization;
39. Also urges States to establish, maintain, facilitate or support rehabilitation
centres or facilities where victims and survivors can receive such treatment and where
effective measures for ensuring the safety of their staff and patients are taken;
_______________
15 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2515, No. 44910.
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40. Urges all States that have not yet done so to become Parties to the
Convention against Torture and the Optional Protocol thereto as a matter of priority,
and calls upon States Parties to ensure their effective implementation;
41. Urges all States Parties to the Convention that have not yet done so to
make the declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention concerning
inter-State and individual communications, to consider the possibility of withdrawing
their reservations to article 20, to notify the Secretary-General of their acceptance of
the amendments to articles 17 and 18, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of
the Committee against Torture as soon as possible, and to comply strictly with their
obligations under the Convention, including, in view of the high number of reports
not submitted in time, their obligation to submit reports in accordance with article 19
of the Convention, and invites States Parties to incorporate a gender perspective and
information concerning persons who are marginalized and in vulnerable situations,
including children and juveniles and persons with disabilities, when submitting
reports to the Committee;
42. Welcomes the work and the reports of the Committee and of the
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading
Treatment or Punishment, recommends that their reports continue to include
information on the follow-up by States Parties to their recommendations, invites
States to make the Subcommittee’s reports public, and supports the Committee and
the Subcommittee in their efforts to further improve the effectiveness of their working
methods;
43. Emphasizes the importance of the Committee and the Subcommittee
having due regard to the principle of non‑discrimination, paying particular attention
to the rights of those who are marginalized or in vulnerable situations, including
through a victim- and survivor-oriented and gender-responsive approach in the fight
against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
44. Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in
conformity with his mandate established by the General Assembly in its resolution
48/141 of 20 December 1993, and other relevant United Nations entities, in
accordance with their mandates and existing resources, to continue to provide, at the
request of States, advisory services for the prevention of torture and other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including for the preparation of
national reports to the Committee, for the implementation of recommendations of the
Committee, and for the establishment and operation of national preventive
mechanisms, as well as technical assistance, including for the development,
production and distribution of teaching materials for this purpose, and further calls
upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide
the support necessary to enable the Subcommittee to provide advice and assistance to
States Parties to the Optional Protocol;
45. Emphasizes the importance of States ensuring proper follow-up to the
recommendations and conclusions of the relevant treaty bodies and mechanisms,
including the Committee, the Subcommittee, national preventive mechanisms and the
Special Rapporteur, while recognizing the important role of the universal periodic
review, national human rights institutions and other relevant national or regional
bodies in preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment;
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46. Takes note with appreciation of the work of the Special Rapporteur,16 and
takes note of the recommendations and the information on the follow-up by States to
recommendations, visits and communications;
47. Calls upon all States to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur
in the performance of her tasks, to supply all necessary information requested by her,
to fully and expeditiously respond to and follow up on her urgent appeals, to give
serious consideration to responding favourably to requests by her to visit their
countries and to enter into a constructive dialogue with her on requested visits to their
countries as well as with respect to the follow-up to her recommendations;
48. Stresses the need for the continued regular exchange of views among the
Committee, the Subcommittee, the Special Rapporteur and other relevant United
Nations mechanisms and bodies, as well as for the pursuit of cooperation with relevant
United Nations programmes, notably the United Nations crime prevention and
criminal justice programme, with regional organizations and mechanisms, as
appropriate, and with civil society organizations, including non‑governmental
organizations, with a view to enhancing further their effectiveness and cooperation
on issues relating to the prevention and eradication of torture by, inter alia, improving
coordination;
49. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure, within the overall budgetary
framework of the United Nations, the provision of adequate staff and facilities for the
bodies and mechanisms involved in preventing and combating torture and assisting
victims of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
including, in particular, the Committee, the Subcommittee and the Special
Rapporteur, commensurate with the strong support expressed by Member States for
preventing and combating torture and assisting victims of torture, in order to enable
them to discharge their mandates in a comprehensive, sustained and effective manner,
and taking fully into account the specific nature of their mandates;
50. Recognizes the global need for international assistance to victims of
torture, stresses the importance of the work of the Board of Trustees of the United
Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, appeals to all States and organizations
to contribute annually to the Fund, preferably with a substantial increase in the level
of contributions, and encourages contributions to the Special Fund established by the
Optional Protocol to support the implementation of the recommendations made by the
Subcommittee and of educational programmes by the national preventive
mechanisms;
51. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to transmit to all States the
appeals of the General Assembly for contributions to the Funds, to include the Funds,
on an annual basis, among the programmes for which funds are pledged at the United
Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, and to submit to the Human
Rights Council a report on the operations of the Funds, and encourages the Chair of
the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture to
continuously raise awareness among States and relevant stakeholders about the
overall trends and developments in its operations;
52. Welcomes the work of the Convention against Torture Initiative, and the
extension of its mandate until 2030, to achieve the universal ratification and improved
implementation of the Convention by 2024, as well as related regional initiatives on
the prevention and eradication of torture;
53. Calls upon all States, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and other United Nations bodies and agencies, as well as relevant
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16 See, inter alia, A/HRC/52/30, A/78/324, A/HRC/55/52, A/79/181, A/HRC/58/55 and A/80/137.
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intergovernmental and civil society organizations, including non‑governmental
organizations, to commemorate, on 26 June, the United Nations International Day in
Support of Victims of Torture;
54. Decides to consider at its eighty-first, eighty-second and eighty-third
sessions the reports of the Secretary-General, including the report of the Committee,
the report of the Subcommittee and the report of the Special Rapporteur;
55. Also decides to give its full consideration to the subject matter at its eighty-
third session.
63rd plenary meeting
15 December 2025
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