Convention Against Torture

The Convention Against Torture (CAT) legally obligates all participating nations to take proactive measures to prevent acts of torture within their jurisdiction. It explicitly states that no exceptional circumstances, such as a state of war or a public emergency, can ever be used as a justification for torture. Furthermore, it establishes the principle of non-refoulement, forbidding countries from deporting individuals to states where they are likely to be tortured.

The United Nations General Assembly officially adopted the Convention Against Torture on December 10, 1984, and it entered into force on June 26, 1987. The date of adoption is significant, as December 10 is globally recognized as Human Rights Day. The treaty was drafted to codify the absolute prohibition of torture into binding international law.

The treaty established the Committee Against Torture, a group of 10 independent human rights experts who review the compliance of member states. Countries that have ratified the convention are required to submit regular reports detailing how they are implementing the treaty's rules on the ground. The committee reviews these reports, issues recommendations, and can also investigate credible allegations of systematic torture.

The United States signed the convention in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan and ratified it in 1994 under President Bill Clinton. However, the U.S. Senate attached several reservations to its ratification to align the treaty with U.S. constitutional standards. Most notably, the U.S. declared that it only considers an act to be torture if it is specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain.