History
The adoption of the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) in 1984 was a landmark in the global fight against torture and ill-treatment. The Convention underlines a fundamental principle: Torture is never, under any circumstances, justified.
UNCAT is one of the most widely supported human rights treaties. Yet the use of torture and ill-treatment in many countries remains persistent and entrenched.
An experiment in doing international relations differently
In launching CTI in March 2014, the Governments of Chile, Denmark, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco appealed to fellow United Nations Member States for the need to protect all persons from torture and ill-treatment – in all parts of the world. To do so would require new thinking, constructive collaboration and shared responsibilities.
Based on this vision and marking the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UNCAT, the Foreign Ministers of Chile, Denmark, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco launched the Convention against Torture Initiative – CTI – on 3 March 2014 at a high-level meeting during the 25th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
At the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in 2019, the 35th year of the Convention, Fiji joined the CTI core States.
By the end of 2024, on the completion of CTI’s initial ten year mandate, 21 new States had joined the convention and the demand for CTI’s unique methodology and support remained high. Seeing the proven effectiveness of their initiative, the core States decided to extend its mandate for a second phase until the end of 2030. They were joined by The Bahamas in 2025 as the seventh CTI core State, which lends its support to ratification efforts in the Caribbean and beyond.