Although torture can be committed using many different tools, people are often tortured and ill-treated with specialist law enforcement equipment and weapons. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, in her 2023 Study has shown that the manufacture and trade of such law enforcement equipment is global and is out of control.
We were pleased to join the Global Week Against Torture to discuss Torture-Free Trade with colleagues from South Africa and Argentina. Learn more about the event and watch below.
This event demonstrated how civil society and State action to promote and facilitate Torture-Free Trade is an essential element in the global fight against torture and other ill-treatment. Speakers from the Americas (CELS), Africa (CSVR), and Europe (Omega) explored the reality and consequences of the unregulated trade in law enforcement equipment, while highlighting advances that have been made to bring it under control. This panel discussed what can be done now to address this trade regionally and internationally, including through a legally binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty.