Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit Sri Lanka

UN: The Special Rapporteur on torture, Manfred Nowak, will visit Sri Lanka from January 27 to February 2, next year, at the invitation of the Government.

Nowak will meet with Government officials, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Public Security, Law and Order, and Justice and Law Reform; the Judiciary; the Human Rights Commission; parliamentarians; the prosecution service, and representatives of non-governmental organisations and international organisations in order to gather first hand information. He will also visit detention facilities.

Nowak will submit a report, including his conclusions and recommendations to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Nowak was appointed Special Rapporteur on December 1, 2004 by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government and serves in his individual capacity.

The Commission first decided to appoint a special rapporteur to examine questions relevant to torture in 1985. The mandate, since assumed under the UN Human Rights Council, covers all countries, whether or not they have ratified the Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.