Publication date: 28.

February 2003 Funding for the rehabilitation of torture victims The financial sustainability of rehabilitation services for victims of torture worldwide is one of the IRCT's most serious concerns. Indeed, the mobilization of funds in support of victims of torture and for the fight against torture remains one of the most significant challenges for the IRCT.

Although the UN Voluntary Fund for Victim of !orture i one of the large t ource of funding for rehabilitation acti"itie # the fact remain that the re$ue t made to the Fund each year far e%ceed the amount of funding made a"ailable through contribution by UN &ember 'tate . (n thi re )ect# the (*+! recently launched an urgent a))eal to all &ember 'tate to either match or increa e )re"iou contribution to the Fund by , &arch 2003 to increa e the funding a"ailable for the u))ort of "ictim of torture. (t i not acce)table that the Fund continue to o)erate -ith un)redictable funding le"el # and it i the re )on ibility of all UN &ember 'tate to acti"ely contribute to and u))ort the

Fund. For almo t ten year # the .uro)ean Union ha al o er"ed a one of the large t donor in the field of torture rehabilitation. (t i # in fact# through the u))ort of the .U that a ub tantial number of rehabilitation centre and )rogramme ha"e been e tabli hed during the la t feyear in area -here no uch er"ice e%i ted before. /o-e"er# a recent )olicy change -ithin the .uro)ean Union# no- focu ing more on )re"ention of torture# ha had the con e$uence that there are le fund for rehabilitation. !hi may re ult in a number of rehabilitation centre being forced to either u )end or clo e do-n their o)eration .

(t i im)erati"e that all donor to the -or0 again t torture fully under tand that effort to eradicate torture re$uire a holi tic a))roach and that )re"ention -ithout rehabilitation i ina))ro)riate. *ehabilitation center er"e both a a treatment and )re"ention facility# and the rehabilitation of a torture "ictim i a long-term commitment# -hich de)end u)on the financial u tainability of a centre. !he (*+! i # on behalf of rehabilitation centre # urging the .U to maintain it "ital contribution to rehabilitation effort # -hile at the ame time -elcoming it effort to trengthen )re"ention initiati"e . !he (*+! recogni e that for a

number of centre the financial ituation i critical and that immediate hel) i needed. !han0 to the genero ity of the 1a0 Foundation# the (*+! ha been in a )o ition to grant minor amount to centre that ha"e been faced -ith e"ere financial difficultie . (t i our incere ho)e that the 1a0 Foundation once again -ill hothi genero ity# thereby enabling the (*+! to a i t the rehabilitation centre in their truggle for ur"i"al. According to the UN +on"ention again t !orture# go"ernment ha"e the obligation to u))ort rehabilitation effort on their territory. /o-e"er# e%)erience ha ho-n that in countrie -here torture i till )racti ed# im)unity

i the rule and the authoritie are generally un-illing to u))ort rehabilitation er"ice for torture "ictim . !hi may be con idered a denial by a go"ernment that torture ta0e )lace. (n other countrie # for ecurity and inde)endence rea on # ome rehabilitation centre choo e not to recei"e go"ernment u))ort and they mu t ha"e an alternati"e ource of funding to maintain their o)eration . &obili ing )ri"ate donor to contribute to the -or0 again t torture i al o a difficult ta 0. !here i often a )ontaneou ) ychological reluctance to hear about the i ue of torture: it i too un)alatable. &oreo"er# there i till a tendency by ome o)inion

leader and media commentator to ad"ocate that torture may be 2u tified under certain circum tance # uch a the 3-ar again t terror3. Public a-arene # ad"ocacy and in )articular the (*+!-coordinated global 24 5une cam)aign can ho-e"er ha"e a )o iti"e im)act in mobili ing )ublic o)inion that torture can ne"er be 2u tified. 6y )romoting a hared re )on ibility in the fight again t torture# thi might lead to increa ed )ri"ate funding. !he (*+! al o recogni e that trengthening the ca)acity of rehabilitation centre i e ential in achie"ing financial u tainability# and the (*+! )ro"ide technical u))ort to rehabilitation centre in the

)re)aration and )re entation of )ro2ect )ro)o al to )otential donor . (n addition# and in recognition of the need to facilitate common tandard and a))roache to ecuring fund # the (*+! ha been collaborating -ith elected rehabilitation centre # -ithin the frame-or0 of the *egional 'trengthening Programme# )ha e t-o 7*'P28 in building organi ational ca)acity among centre # aiming at increa ing the o"erall in titutional ca)acity# including financial u tainability. Fi"e regional training eminar -ill be held in 2003# during -hich the e i ue -ill be rai ed and fundrai ing e%)erience hared. !he (*+! gratefully ac0no-ledge

the financial u))ort of the .uro)ean Union and other donor for the *'P2.