We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report.

Australia is deeply concerned by the scale and extent of torture crimes being perpetrated by national authorities and public officials across the globe.

Australia welcomes the report’s focus on the ‘duty to investigate’ at the national level.

We strongly support the Special Rapporteur’s call for measures to enable victim participation, protection and empowerment. Complaints handling measures must include a range of protections for witnesses in vulnerable situations to effectively minimise intimidation, avoid additional trauma, and ensure confidentiality and personal safety.

National human rights institutions play an integral role in national accountability measures.  Guided by the Paris Principles, these institutions are an independent voice in responding to complaints and providing best practice advice to assist states in meeting international obligations.

Australia asks the Special Rapporteur; how can states better address the barriers to reporting allegations of torture while ensuring the privacy and safety of these complainants?