Ukrainian candidate Anton Symkovych has been elected to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture for the 2027–2030 term.
This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha congratulated Symkovych on his election and stressed that preventing torture is of particular importance for Ukraine. He said that Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians illegally held by Russia continue to be subjected to cruel treatment in captivity, in violation of international law.
Sybiha emphasised that torture is a violation of human dignity, and that the fight against it remains a shared responsibility of the international community.
How the UN Committee Against Torture Works
- The Committee Against Torture is an international body that monitors compliance with the relevant UN Convention. This includes preventing ill-treatment, protecting victims and raising awareness of human rights, writes the Ukrainian Centre for Human Rights Protection.
- The body regularly monitors the situation in participating countries. Each state is required to submit reports on the implementation of the Convention at least once every four years. The Committee’s experts analyse these documents, assess the situation and provide their recommendations.
- In addition, the body considers individual complaints from people or groups who have suffered from violations. However, this procedure is possible only if the country has officially recognised the Committee’s competence in accordance with Article 22 of the Convention.