Togo advances human rights commitment with Key UN report finalization
Lomé hosted a pivotal meeting on Tuesday, January 20, to finalize Togo’s fourth periodic report to the United Nations Committee against Torture. The session brought together national stakeholders involved in preventing and punishing torture to review, refine, and consolidate the draft document.
The report outlines the implementation of Togo of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
During the consultations, participants worked to ensure the submission accurately reflects state efforts, progress achieved, and ongoing challenges in eradicating such practices.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Asksno Anathère Talim, reaffirmed the legal and ethical foundations of this fight. “Torture is an imprescriptible crime under Togolese law, and no exceptional circumstance not even an order from a superior or public authority can justify it. Combating torture is a fundamental imperative, as it constitutes a grave violation of human dignity,” he stated.
In recent years, Togo has taken concrete steps to strengthen its preventive and legal framework.
The revised Penal Code now explicitly establishes the imprescriptibility of torture and introduces dissuasive criminal penalties.
Additional measures include improving conditions during police custody and providing ongoing human rights training for law enforcement and security personnel.
The independent National Prevention Mechanism (MNP) also plays a key monitoring role, conducting regular and unannounced visits to all places of detention to help prevent abuses.
The upcoming submission of this report to the UN represents both an accountability milestone and an opportunity to reaffirm the political will of Togo to build a state governed by the rule of law, where every person’s dignity remains inviolable.
