感谢各位给我机会在本次会议上发言，也感谢本次会议的共同组织者。
本次会议的主题非常重要。在任何情况下，酷刑都是不可接受的。故意给一个被囚禁且无法自卫的人施加痛苦是毫无道理的。
但是，尽管绝对禁止酷刑，在许多国家，如果被捕，则很可能在拘留期间受到身体虐待。你们中的许多人，我们在国家人权机构的同事，对此都有直接的了解。作为在你们国家促进人权的重要合作伙伴，你们中的大多数人已经为预防和解决酷刑问题做了大量工作。我希望你们能够在本次会议上与同事们分享其中的一些经验。
2021年发布的《联合国关于监禁问题的共同立场》明确指出，鉴于监狱的封闭性和固有的虐待风险，监狱部门和外部独立机构的双重定期监督和检查制度对于防止酷刑和虐待至关重要。
由此我想到了国家预防机制的作用。由独立专家定期访问拘留场所是防止酷刑的最有效途径。在这方面，国家人权机构和国家预防机制都具有重要价值，但它们的作用并不完全相同。尽管这两个机构确实需要非常密切的合作，但根据《禁止酷刑和其他残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚公约任择议定书》，许多国家预防机制在制度上与国家人权机构是分开的。
即使国家预防机制在国家人权机构的主持下运作，它们仍然需要在职能上与国家人权机构区分开来，具有较大的业务和财政自主权。这是在本次会议期间分享各种经验可能非常有帮助的另一个领域。
本次会议的召开正值人权界重要一年的关键时刻。
2023年是《世界人权宣言》通过75周年，也是《巴黎原则》通过30周年。一个月后，人权高专办将组织一次高级别活动，纪念《世界人权宣言》。为了重振《世界人权宣言》的精神，我们正在寻求全球对促进人权的承诺。
在这些承诺中，我希望我们将看到许多国家承诺签署和批准《禁止酷刑和其他残忍、不人道或有辱人格的待遇或处罚公约任择议定书》以及其他国际人权文书和条约。
我还希望看到许多国家承诺支持和赋权其国家人权机构，并承诺确保你们的独立性得到尊重，你们的建议得到落实。
你们往往在极具挑战性的环境中，为维护人权开展了重要而有原则的工作。目前被认证为完全符合《巴黎原则》的88个国家人权机构达到了严格的标准。我相信，你们将继续有效和独立地运作。我鼓励32个“B”级机构进行改革，以确保你们的机构能够独立于当局采取行动，促进人权。人权高专办将随时准备为这些努力提供支持。
我希望你们鼓励本国政府和其他利益攸关方承诺在未来几十年内促进人权。我相信你们也会做出这样的承诺。
人权是和平的基础，是可持续发展的支撑。创造一个人人享有人权的世界，关系到所有国家和人民的利益。
【英文原文】
National human rights institutions can play a vital role in ending torture, Türk says
06 November 2023
Thank you for the opportunity to address this gathering, and my thanks also to the co-organizers of this conference.
The theme of your meeting is an important one. There is no circumstance in which torture is acceptable. Deliberately inflicting pain on a person who is captive, and unable to defend themself, is unjustifiable.
But despite the absolute prohibition of torture, there are many countries in which if you are arrested, you are likely to be physically ill-treated while in custody. Many of you, our colleagues in National Human Rights Institutions, have direct knowledge of this. As our vital partners in advancing human rights in your countries, most of you have already done extensive work to prevent and address torture. I hope you will be able to share with colleagues at this conference some of those experiences.
The UN Common Position on Incarceration, which was launched in 2021, states clearly that given the closed nature of prisons and the inherent risk of abuse, a two-fold system of regular monitoring and inspections – by both the prison service and by external, independent bodies – is essential for preventing torture and ill treatment.
This brings me to the role of National Preventive Mechanisms. The establishment of regular visits to places of detention by independent experts is the most effective way to prevent torture. And both National Human Rights Institutions and National Preventive Mechanisms have great value in that respect – but their roles are not identical. Although the two institutions do need to cooperate very closely, many National Preventive Mechanisms, in line with OPCAT, are institutionally separate from National Human Rights Institutions.
Even when they function under the auspice of the National Human Rights Institution, National Preventive Mechanisms still need to be functionally distinct from the National Human Rights Institution, with significant operational and financial autonomy. This is another area in which sharing of different kinds of experience during this conference could be very helpful.
Your conference is taking place at a key moment in this important year for the human rights community.
2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and 30 years since the adoption of the Paris Principles. In a month's time my Office will be organising a high-level event to commemorate the Universal Declaration. And to rekindle its spirit, we are seeking global pledges to advance human rights.
Among those pledges, I hope we will see many commitments to signing and ratifying OPCAT, as well as the other international human rightsinstruments and treaties.
I also hope to see many States pledging to support and empower their national human rights institutions – and that they will commit to ensuring both that your independence is respected, and that your recommendations are implemented.
You do essential and principled work to uphold human rights, often in very challenging environments. The 88 NHRIs that are currently accredited as fully compliant with the Paris Principles have met exacting standards. I trust that you will continue to operate effectively and with independence. I encourage the 32 ‘B’ Status institutions to adopt reforms to ensure that your institutions can act independently of the authorities to advance human rights. My Office will always be ready to provide support to these efforts.
I count on you to encourage your governments, and other stakeholders, to commit to making pledges that can advance human rights in the coming decades. And I trust you will make such pledges also.
Human rights are the basis of peace and the underpinnings of sustainable development. All States and people have a stake in creating a world in which human rights are lived realities for all.
