Brazil
01.10.10
Reports
A Follow-up Report to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the Economic, Social and Cultural Root Causes of Torture and Other Forms of Violence in Brazil
Introduction
Addressingthe links between violence and the denial of economic, social and culturalrightsThis follow-up report has been produced inthe context of the OMCT project “Preventing Torture and Other Forms of Violenceby Acting on their Economic, Social and Cultural Root Causes” funded by theEuropean Union’s European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, the KarlPopper Foundation, the InterChurch Organisation for Development Cooperation(ICCO) and the Foundation for Human Rights at Work. This project is founded on the principleof the interdependence of human rights and seeks to develop human rightsresponses that address the links between poverty and marginalisation on the onehand, and torture and violence on the other.[1] Iftorture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other formsof violence – including violence against women and children - are to beeffectively eliminated, then their economic, social and cultural root causesmust be understood and effectively addressed.[2] Theconverse equally applies: acting to reduce levels of violence in a givensociety is a fundamental step towards ensuring the widespread enjoyment ofeconomic, social and cultural rights.
Addressingthe links between violence and the denial of economic, social and culturalrightsThis follow-up report has been produced inthe context of the OMCT project “Preventing Torture and Other Forms of Violenceby Acting on their Economic, Social and Cultural Root Causes” funded by theEuropean Union’s European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, the KarlPopper Foundation, the InterChurch Organisation for Development Cooperation(ICCO) and the Foundation for Human Rights at Work. This project is founded on the principleof the interdependence of human rights and seeks to develop human rightsresponses that address the links between poverty and marginalisation on the onehand, and torture and violence on the other.[1] Iftorture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and other formsof violence – including violence against women and children - are to beeffectively eliminated, then their economic, social and cultural root causesmust be understood and effectively addressed.[2] Theconverse equally applies: acting to reduce levels of violence in a givensociety is a fundamental step towards ensuring the widespread enjoyment ofeconomic, social and cultural rights.
How the denial of economic, social andcultural rights is related to torture and other forms of violence
- The poor,excluded and other vulnerable groups are often the first and most numerousvictims of violence, including torture and cruel, inhuman and degradingtreatment.
- Levels of violence in a given community or society can be such thatindividuals or groups are unable to enjoy their economic, social and culturalrights.
- Violence isinflicted on persons because they demand respect for economic, social orcultural rights – their own or those of others.
- Policies andprogrammes by governments, private actors or development and financialinstitutions can exacerbate poverty and inequalities and lead to increasedlevels of official, criminal and domestic violence.
[1] See OMCT, Attacking the Root Causes of Torture: Poverty, Inequality and Violence– An Interdisciplinary Study, Geneva, 2006, www.omct.org.In his role as UN Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, Sir NigelRodley noted: “as long as national societies and, indeed, the international communityfail to address the problems of the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable,they are indirectly and, as far as the exposure to the risk of torture isconcerned, directly contributing to the vicious circle of brutalization that isa blot on and a threat to our aspirations for a life of dignity and respect forall”, Interim Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission of HumanRights on the question of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degradingtreatment or punishment, UN Doc. A/55/290, 11 August 2000, para. 37. [2] Of course, many other measures must be taken to eliminate torture inaddition to addressing its economic, social and cultural root causes. These aredealt with in OMCT-sponsored alternative reports to the UN Human Rights Committee,the UN Committee Against Torture, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Childand the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.