【人權訊息】酷刑 Torture（聯合國人權事務高級專員辦事處Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights）

酷刑和其他殘忍、不人道或有辱人格待遇或處罰問題特別報告員胡安·門德斯（Juan E. Méndez）

胡安·門德斯先生。酷刑和其他殘忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或處罰問題特別報告員
©人權高專辦照片

聯合國人權委員會在其1985/33號決議中決定任命一名特別報告員審查與酷刑有關的各種問題。在2008年6月，​​人權理事會通過其第8/8號決議，將該任務期限延長三年。特別報告員的任務包括所有國家，而不管該國家是否批准了《禁止酷刑和其他殘忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或處罰公約》。

該任務包括三種主要活動：

1）將緊急呼籲（據報冒酷刑危險的個人）和來文（聲稱遭受酷刑的以往案件）轉交各締約國；
2）進行實況調查國別訪問；
3）就特別報告員的活動、任務和工作方法向人權 ​​理事會和聯合國大會提交年度報告。 

不同於根據國際條約建立的條約監督機構，特別報告員並不要求竭盡國內所有補救措施而採取行動。當事實涉及不止一種職權範圍時，特別報告員可決定與其他專題機制及國家報告員進行聯繫，以期聯合發出來文或尋求開展聯合行動。

Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment

The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1985/33, decided to appoint an expert, a special rapporteur, to examine questions relevant to torture. The mandate was extended for 3 years by Human Rights Council resolution 25/13 in March 2014.

It covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The mandate comprises three main activities:

1) transmitting urgent appeals to States with regard to individuals reported to be at risk of torture, as well as communications on past alleged cases of torture; 
2) undertaking fact-finding country visits; and 
3) submitting annual reports on activities, the mandate and methods of work to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.

Unlike the complaints mechanisms of the human rights treaty monitoring bodies, the Special Rapporteur does not require the exhaustion of domestic remedies to act. When the facts in question come within the scope of more than one mandate established by the Commission, the Special Rapporteur may decide to approach other thematic mechanisms and country rapporteurs with a view to sending joint communications or seeking joint missions.