UN Human Rights Treaties

Distr. GENERAL
A/37/263
15 November  1982
ENGLISH
ORIGINAL:     ENGLSH/FRENCH

Thirty-seventh session
Agenda  item 88   (a)

TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL,    INHUMAN  OR DEGRADING TREATMENT
OR  PUNISHMENT
Unilateral declarations by Member States  against  torture and other cruel,   inhuman or  degrading  treatment or  Punishment
Report of the Secretary-General
CONTENTS
Page
I.      INTRODUCTION        2
II.      REPLIES RECEIVED  PROM GOVERNMENTS        2
France        2
Rwanda        3
Saint Vincent and  the Grenadines        3
Sri  Lanka        4
UNITED NATIONS
General Assembly
82-31573     0375p   (E)
 

 
A/37/263
English
I.      INTRODUCTION

1.    In paragraph 1 of resolution 32/64 of 8 December  1977,  the General Assembly called upon all Member States  to reinforce  their  support of the Declaration on  the Protection of All Persons  from Being  Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel,  Inhuman or  Degrading Treatment or Punishment by making unilateral declarations against torture and other cruel,   inhuman or degrading   treatment or punishment, along  the lines of a model  text annexed to the above-mentioned resolution,  and depositing them with  the Secretary-General.
2.    In paragraph 2 of the same resolution, the General Assembly urged all Member States to give maximum publicity to their unilateral declarations against torture and other cruel,   inhuman or degrading  treatment or punishment.
3.    In paragraph 3,   the Secretary-General was requested  to  inform the Assembly,  in annual reports,  of such  unilateral declarations as might be deposited by Member States.
4.    In paragraphs 7,  8 and 9 of resolution 33/178 of 20 December 1978,  the General Assembly took note of  the first report of the secretary-General containing unilateral declarations   (A/33/197),  invited Member States which had not yet done so to deposit unilateral declarations with  the Secretary-General,  as called for  under resolution 32/64,  and requested the Secretary-General  to continue to inform the General Assembly,   in annual reports, of such further  unilateral declarations which might be deposited by Member States.
5.    In conformity with resolutions 32/64,  33/178,  34/167   and 35/178,  this report reproduces  the unilateral declarations received as at 30 September  1982   from the following  States:     France,   Rwanda,  Saint Vincent and  the Grenadines and Sri  Lanka.
II.      REPLIES  RECEIVED FROM GOVERNMENTS
FRANCE
¶
[Original:    French] 130 September   19821 The Government of the French Republic hereby solemnly declares:
. ¶
(a)    That it subscribes to the principles set forth in the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or  Punishment   (General Assembly resolution 3452  (XXX)) ,
(b)    That it will continue  to ensure  the strict application of  those principles.
 
A/ 37/263
English
Page 3
RWANDA
(Original:    French)
(12  November   1982)
The Rwandese Government,  having faith in  the Universal Declaration of Human Rights   (General Assembly resolution 217 A   (III)),  considering  that the promotion of the rights of everyone in his dignity had always been its unremitting concern and that Rwandese legislation provides  for  the effective protection of fundamental human rights, noting in that connection that the Constitution of the Rwandese Republic,  in  its article 12,  proclaims  that the human person  is sacred, and bearing in mind  that the Rwandese Republic has abided strictly by the  international instruments relating to human fights,   in particular  the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol   (resolution 2200 A   (XXI)), which,   in  its articles 7  to 10, prohibits  torture and other cruel,   inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
(a)     Declares  its opposition  to torture and other cruel,   inhuman or  degrading
treatment or punishment;
Co)     Declares  its opposition  to any form of suffering offensive  to the dignity of any person;
(c)     Declares  that it will spare no effort  to proscribe torture  in all   its forms.
SAINT VINCENT AND  THE  GRENADINES
(Original:     English)
[26 March  1982]
The  Government of Saint Vincent and  the Grenadines hereby declares its intention:
(a)    To comply with  the Declaration on  the Protection of All Persons  from Being  Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel,   Inhuman or  Degrading Treatment or Punishment   (General Assembly resolution 3452   (XXX)   of 9 December  1975);
(b)    To implement,   through legislation and other  effective measures,   the provisions of the said Declaration.
 
A/ 37/263

English
Page 4
SRI LANKA
[original:    English] (2 September  1982]
1.    The Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri  Lanka hereby
declares  its  Intention:
(a)     To comply with  the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being  Subjected  to Torture and Other Cruel,  Inhuman or  Degrading Treatment or Punishment   (General Assembly resolution 3452   (XXX)  of 9 December  1982);
(b)    To continue to implement, by all appropriate means,  the principles set forth in the Declaration. .
2.    The Government of Sri  Lanka takes this opportunity to point out  that article 11 of  the Constitution of  Sri Lanka enshrines  the fundamental right  that no person shall be subjected to torture or  to cruel,   inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.