Condemns all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including through intimidation, which are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever and can thus never be justified, and calls upon all States to implement fully the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; condemns any action or attempt by States or public officials to legalize, authorize or acquiesce in torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances, including on grounds of national security or through judicial decisions; calls upon all States to take appropriate effective legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent and prohibit the production, trade, export and use of equipment that is specifically designed to inflict torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; urges States parties to comply strictly with their obligations under the Convention and calls upon them to give early consideration to signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol; calls upon the UN Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide, at the request of States, advisory services for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to consider including in his report information on the follow-up by States to his recommendations, visits and communications; requests the Secretary-General to continue to transmit to all States the appeals of the General Assembly for contributions to the fund; also requests the Secretary-General to ensure the provision of adequate staff and facilities for the bodies and mechanisms involved in combating torture and assisting victims of torture; further requests the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission on Human Rights at its 62nd session and to the General Assembly at its 61st session a report on the status of the Convention and a report on the operations of the Fund; decides to consider at its 61st session the reports of the Secretary-General, including the report on the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, the report of the Committee against Torture and the interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Adopted without vote, 64th plenary meeting

5 p.

Issued in GAOR, 60th sess., Suppl. no. 49.