6 月 26 日是支持酷刑受害者国际日。联合国纽约总部今天在欧盟的牵头下举办了特别活动， 谴责酷刑这种违反国际法的罪行，并向酷刑受害者表示支持。
秘书长 Antonio Guterres 为纪念酷刑受害者国际日发表致辞表示， 今天这一国际日是为酷刑幸存者而设立的，值此之际，我们向全世界许许多多的酷刑幸存者致意，包括那些因政治或其他观点而遭受酷刑、因反恐斗争而遭受酷刑以及那些仅仅因为与他人有所不同而遭受酷刑的人们。酷刑受害者有权得到有效的救济、康复和补救。
Guterres 斯指出，《世界人权宣言》和《联合国禁止酷刑公约》明确规定绝对禁止酷刑。世界在打击酷刑和其他残忍、不人道和有辱人格的处罚和待遇方面已取得很大成就，但还需要采取更多行动，以全面消除酷刑。在任何时候，即便是在紧急状态、政治不稳定甚或战争期间，酷刑都是不可接受和无理可辩解的。
Guterres 向所有声援酷刑受害者及其家人的人们致敬，并再次承诺，我们决心消除这种可憎而无益的做法。
联合国大会1984年通过了《禁止酷刑和其他残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚公约》，该公约于1987年生效。一个由独立专家组成的禁止酷刑委员会监督该公约在各国的实施情况。
根据公约，酷刑是指以官方身分行使职权的人为取得情报或供状，为了处罚、恐吓或威胁等目的，蓄意使某人在肉体或精神上遭受剧烈痛苦。
对酷刑的禁止是国际惯例法的一个部分，这意味着，它对国际社会的每一个成员都具有约束力，而不管该成员是否批准了明确规定禁止酷刑的国际条约。经常地或广泛地施加酷刑的作法构成危害人类罪。
联合国人权理事会的前身人权委员会于1985年由任命了一位酷刑问题特别报告员，就世界各国仍然存在的酷刑情况进行报告。
联合国还设立了援助酷刑受害者自愿基金，为酷刑受害者及其家庭提供资助。
Torture in any form, is absolutely unacceptable and can never be justified, top United Nations officials said on Tuesday, urging great support for victims worldwide.
In his message to mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the “absolute prohibition” of torture is “stipulated in unequivocal terms” as a foundational principle, including within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“Much has been achieved in the fight against this and other cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and treatment, yet more action is needed to eradicate torture fully,” he said.
“Torture remains unacceptable and unjustified at all times, including during states of emergency, political instability, or even in a war.”
In the message, the Secretary-General also paid tribute to all who stand in solidarity with the victims of torture and their families, and underscored that the victims have the right to justice, rehabilitation and redress.
Commemorated annually on 26 June, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture marks the moment in 1987, when the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, came into effect.
The International Day also serves as a rallying cry for all stakeholders including UN Member States, civil society and individuals to unite in support of victims of torture and those who are still subjected to the ghastly practice. It also highlights the need for prompt and specialized rehabilitation programmes to help victims “make the transition from horror to healing.”
“It takes decades to restore this broken human being as a result of the effects of a pernicious attack on their body and their mind,” said High Commissioner Zeid in a separate message.
In his message, the UN rights chief also reiterated the vital role played by the Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, a unique victim-focused mechanism that channels funding for the assistance to victims of torture and their families that helps over 50,000 torture victims and their families every year.
The UN human rights chief, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, also underlined the need for stable and peaceful States everywhere, to support victims of torture.
“If you do not pay attention” to the victims, he said, “and if you leave them unattended, they are the ones will keep the wounds of a State open because their suffering hasn’t been addressed.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights added that the Fund plays a “critical role in restoring some sense of humanity to societies and societies” where torture is still used.
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