Pp Mali

United Nations Human Rights Council Republic of Mali The issues before the Republic of Mali are: 1. The Use of Torture and Degrading Treatment to War Prisoners 2. The Violation of Rights of Refugees I. The Use of Torture and Degrading Treatment to War Prisoners The Republic of Mali shows its deep commitment to the global fight against torture and degrading treatment to war prisoners not only on humanitarian and moral grounds, but on the grounds that evidence extracted by torture can be unreliable and that the use of torture corrupts institutions which tolerate it. Having ratified the UN Convention against Torture, the Republic of Mali agrees not to intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on anyone, to obtain information or a confession, to punish them, or to coerce them or a third person. Moreover, according to the U.S. Department of State's annual human rights report for 2003, Mali's government generally respects the human rights of its citizens and of citizens of other countries, including POW and observes relevant constitutional provisions and prohibitions (e.g., arbitrary arrest and detention, forced exile, torture, and discrimination based on race, sex, disability, language, or social status). Mali is perfectly aware of the need of interstate co-operation to face this challenge and therefore reaffirms its willingness to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral agreements with its partners. Being an independent, sovereign and stable state with a leader role in a region that is most vulnerable to political and military instability, Mali, however, observes with concern the attempts of other powers in Western Africa to influence the policy of the government of the Republic of Mali against torture and re-voices its call for an egalitarian co-operation in the fight against torture. Therefore, the Republic of Mali, complying with the United Nations Convention against Torture, the Geneva Convention IV and its additional protocols: 1. Recalls the need to force countries into stopping the use of torture by implementing sanctions whenever international law of human rights and the international definition of torture are broken. 2. Reaffirms Mali’s particular responsibility in the regional fight against torture and degrading treatment to war prisoners. 3. Promote the creation of public awareness of torture and its negative outcomes, in order to flash the international opinion on the nation which is utilizing torture. 4. Encourages the ban of international torturing devices from international trade, making them illegal of both exports and imports to all the nations which embrace human rights. 5. Recalls the need to reinforce the punishment and regulatory system against governments and prison officials that carry out torture and degrading treatment against war prisoners. 6. Encourages the promotion of a higher level of transparency to show and prove the application of torture through the establishment of an International Monitoring System. II. The Violation of Rights of Refugees Having hosted some 12,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly form Cote d’ Ivoire, Mauritania and Sierra Leone and having experienced widespread displacement and refugees’ and returnees’ spontaneous movements within its borders as a consequence of the September 2002 army mutiny in Cote d’Ivorie, the Republic of Mali is perfectly aware of the dangers to which refugees and returnees who began crossing the its border could be subjected and therefore most willing to contribute to dam up the potential violation of the rights

of refugees and returnees as well as asylum-seekers and IDPs . By helping refugees to become self-sufficient in both rural and urban areas, by developing activities in education focused on providing support to schools, by promoting awareness activities on sexual and gender violence (SGBV) and HIV/AIDS and training sessions on the rights of refugees and emergency management under the patronage of the UNHCR, the Republic of Mali is proud to have fulfilled the commitments it made to stop and prevent the violation of the rights of refugees , in accordance with the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1969 OAU Convention governing the specific aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa . Given the enormous costs of the process of repatriation of refugees and reintegration of IDPs and returnees and the economic, ethnic and political problems some countries in Western Africa still face, Mali expresses its gratitude to the sponsors of the process and recalls the need for further financial contribution to achieve success in these processes and in the protection of these people. The Republic of Mali therefore: 1. Suggests analyzing the experiences gained in the past decade in helping refugees and asylum-seekers to become self-sufficient. 2. Recalls the rich nations of the world to further sponsor costly projects in this field in Western Africa and other regions of the world. 3. Encourages the creation of assistance measures designed to facilitate the reintegration of returnees and to support those displaced (e.g. distributing food and non-food items, working to maintain sanitation, water points and latrines and to reduce the risk of communicable diseases). 4. Calls attention to the importance of a coordinated repatriation process accompanied by major social and economic transformations. 5. Emphasizes the importance of persistent international protection and life-sustaining assistance for long-staying refugees, since repatriation and resettlement as durable solutions remain politically sensitive. 6. Offers to share its experience in the peaceful repatriation of returnees and integration of IDPs and invites everybody to a mutual satisfying co-operation in this area.