All of this is meaningless if we do not, at the same time, take steps to reconstruct the physical and psychosocial health of the society. Rehabilitation treatment allows people to put together the pieces of their lives again. This is just as important for newly democratic societies as it is for societies recovering from conflict. Where torture has been used by the State, incoming governments must commit themselves to addressing what happened in the past, and to put right past wrongs, to the fullest extent possible. I was very encouraged to read the OSCE Chairperson Benita Ferrero-Waldner's strong statement against torture on 26 June this year.
Torture is an attempt to destroy a fellow human being physically and mentally.
It is the cruellest of all crimes, and it can never be justified in any circumstances, by any ideology or by any overriding interest. At Istanbul in November 1999, all OSCE states recommitted themselves to eradicating torture and to providing assistance for victims of torture. All OSCE member states, with the exception of Ireland, Andorra and San Marino, are now parties to the UN Convention Against Torture. Accordingly , we encourage OSCE members to develop a strategy plan for eradicating torture in the entire OSCE region. We urge those states where torture continues to be used to take action now to match their commitments with deeds.