Rwanda has made huge steps in domesticating and implementing the United Nations Conventions Against Torture (UNCAT), officials from Rwanda Human Rights Commission have said.“Regarding international conventions in general, Rwanda is doing well in fulfilling its obligations. The country has ratified 8 out of 9 core international instruments’’, says Madeleine Nirere, the Chairperson of Rwanda National Commission for Human Rights (RNCHR). Nirere said this on Friday while closing of a two-day workshop that brought together RNCHR, officials from Article 5 Initiative, various government and non governmental institutions, and UN agencies.Rwanda ratified the United Nations Conventions against torture in 2008. It has presented its initial report on compliance with UNCAT before the UN committee against torture in May 2012. Like other state parties, it has obligations like reporting on the implementation of the conventions, putting in place mechanisms of implementing them, among others.Nirere said Rwanda had put in place legal mechanisms including ratification of the conventions, and the Article 15 of the constitution of June, 4, 2003, as amended to date, guarantees that no person shall be subjected to torture, physical abuse or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Another legal mechanism put in place is the new penal code of May 2012 that defines the crime of torture and provides punishments for those who commit it.Other mechanisms include monitoring, sensitisation, education and training of various relevant ministries and institutions such as Rwanda National Police and Rwanda Correctional Service. ‘’Rwanda has made a big step in implementing UN conventions against torture, and lessons can be learnt from Rwanda on how they managed to domesticate and implement the conventions against torture’’, Says Professor Lillian Artz who is the project manager of Article 5 Initiative.The Article 5 Initiative aims at supporting African institutions to improve domestic compliance with international law obligations, norms and procedures under the Article 5 of UNCAT and the Article 5 of African Charter on Human and People’s rights. According to the RNCHR Chairperson, Rwanda is in the process of ratifying additional protocol of UNCAT.
