Celebration of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in Western Kasai

9 Jul 2013

Celebration of International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in Western Kasai

Kananga, 26 June 2013 – In Kananga, the provincial capital of Western Kasai, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture was celebrated on Wednesday, 26 June 2013, with a workshop for human rights activists organized by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office. The presentations were on the national and international legal instruments of protection against torture; the current situation on the use of torture and other degrading treatments in Western Kasai; and issues surrounding the enforcement of the national law criminalizing torture in the province. More than 60 participants took part in the discussions.

The opening ceremony was presided jointly by the Provincial Government's Executive Secretary, Ms. Innocents Bakanseka, and the Provincial Coordinator ad interim of the United Nations Joint Office in Western Kasai.

During the ceremony, the Provincial UN Coordinator ad interim read out the UN Secretary-General's message on the Day, message in which Mr. Ban Ki-moon urges "all Member States to accede to and fully implement the Convention against Torture and support the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture."

In the run-up to this celebration, the United Nations Joint Office in Western Kasai made a visit to the central prison of Kananga, where detainees were told about their rights.

Lansana Dabo/ MONUSCO