The United Nations’ Human Rights Council has been deliberating on the rights of torture victims to seek redress and rehabilitation for awhile. In a landmark resolution issued today, the UN Human Rights Council called on States to provide redress to victims of torture, with a specific focus on the right to rehabilitation. This is the first time that the Human Rights Council has substantially addressed victims’ needs for rehabilitation services as a part of States’ obligations to provide redress to torture victims.

In this Press Release signed by Tessa Moll the Communication Officer of International Rehabilitation Council for Torture IRCT and culled from the Media and Resources link of their website; www.irct.org, details of the resolution is featured.

“Rehabilitation of torture victims is unquestionably no easy task,” said the Danish ambassador when presenting the resolution today. “…But we know that a lot can be achieved with the right treatment. In this regard, the resolution highlights the importance of full holistic and specialized rehabilitation services.”

Denmark, the lead sponsor of the resolution, has a long history of supporting the rehabilitation of torture victims. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims has been based in Copenhagen since its founding more than 25 years ago and three of its 144 members are in Denmark.

The resolution emphasized that redress should take a victim-centered approached, whereby putting the “victims and their individual needs at the centre of redress procedures”. The resolution specifically called upon States to ensure that holistic rehabilitation services are provided at the earliest point at time and are appropriate and available.

Further key provisions of the resolution expand upon the state obligations to rehabilitation, including:

• Access to rehabilitation services, either through state healthcare systems or through civil society-`based centers;
• That services must be holistic, meaning appropriate and tailored to the needs of the victim, such as medical and psychological treatment, as well as community and family-based care and social, educational and vocational services;
• Ensuring the safety of the victims of torture and the actors in civil society-based torture rehabilitation;
• And also paying special attention to the redress and rehabilitation of victims of gender-based violence that constitutes torture.

“We are very pleased that the Human Rights Council has taken a political stand on this crucial issue in support of torture victims and their right to rehabilitation,” says IRCT Secretary-General Joost Martens. “We echo the Council’s endeavor to call upon all member states to work diligently to make this the right to rehabilitation a reality on the ground, particularly by ensuring that adequate resources are available for rehabilitation services. This is in addition to giving generously, as encouraged by the resolution, to the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.”

The IRCT will continue to work with its national and international partners to take this issue further to ensure improving access to rehabilitation services to victims of torture.