International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

The UN's International Day in Support of Victims of Torture serves as a reminder to people that human torture is a crime. ©iStockphoto.com/ Ryan Klos

What do people do?

Rehabilitation centers and human rights organizations around the world celebrate the UN’s International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26 each year. The day serves as a reminder to people that torture is a crime. This event gives everyone a chance to unite and voice their opinions against human torture.

Organizations such as the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims have played an active role in organizing a range of events around the world to promote the day. Activities to promote the day include: photo exhibitions; the distribution of posters and other material to boost people’s awareness of issues related to human torture; and television advertisements.

Amnesty International is also a big supporter of this event. Amnesty International USA will bring its national tour of a life-size Guantanamo prison cell replica to Washington DC on June 25, 2008. Activists will gather east of the Washington Monument on the National Mall to experience the cell and push the United States Government (also known as the US Government) to shut down Guantanamo.

Public life

The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is not a public holiday and public life is not affected.

Background

On June 26, 1987, the Convention against Torture came into force. It was an important step in the process of globalizing human rights and acknowledging that torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment should be universally illegal. In 1997 the United Nations General Assembly decided to mark this historic date and designated June 26 each year as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.

The first International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was held on June 26, 1998. It was a day when the United Nations appealed to all governments and members of civil society to take action to defeat torture and torturers everywhere. That same year marked the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which proclaims that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.

Symbols

The United Nations’ logo is often associated with marketing and promotional material for this event. It features a projection of a world map (less Antarctica) centered on the North Pole, enclosed by olive branches. The olive branches are a symbol for peace, and the world map represents all the people of the world. The logo appears in colors such as black on a white or light yellow background.

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture Observances

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