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HUMAN, TACTICAL OR TECHNICAL: THE
NATURE OF MODERN PEACEKEEPERS

HUMAN RIGHTS : A FOCUS ON

TORTURE PROHIBITION

Security Sector Reform and Hu- curity institutions themselves have ghts standards has proved to be
man Rights: a focus on torture often been directly involved in ho- the only way to achieve a long la-
prohibition and prevention stilities and associated with gross sting and self-sustainable peace,
human rights violations, thus un- therefore protection and promo-

by Marco Sutto dermining the confi dence of the tion of human rights require to be
population in the State. Only an integrated in the full spectrum of
effective and human rights com- mission activities as essential ele-
In modern peace operations, ca- pliant law enforcement restores ments. A State capable of exploi-
pacity building activities represent public law and order and also con- ting effectively its coercive powers,
the main and long lasting effort tributes in reestablishing the confi - without abusing of them, to pro-
from which the overall mission dence of the population in the ca- tect individual’s human rights re-
success often depends. Assisting pacity of the State to govern and to presents the ultimate success for
societies in post confl ict environ- provide for their individual safety every SSR program. In this fi eld
ments, usually characterized by and security. The latter constitute the compliance the prohibition
ineffective Law Enforcement insti- a necessary precondition to crea- of torture and similar treatments
tutions, to come to terms with a le- te the necessary fertile ground for often represents a sensitive issue.
gacy of past abuses and promote the desired social and economic Torture is one of the most horren-
justice and reconciliation through development in the recipient Sta- dous violations of a person’s hu-
a proper Security Sector Reform te. Reforming, restructuring, rebu- man rights. It is an attack on the
(SSR) is a fundamental objective ilding State institutions consistently very essence of a person’s digni-
of capacity building activities. Se- with the international Human Ri- ty and, unfortunately, the natio-

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