between lay society and religious institutions, the revision of the Lateran Treaty and the Additional Protocol thereto showed how Italian society had matured and evolved in that regard, with the reaffirmation of the constitutional principle of the separation of Church and State and the elimination of the privileged status which the Catholic religion had enjoyed as the sole State religion. Although that modification did not detract from the importance of the Catholic religion as a vital force in the history and culture of the Italian people, it demonstrated the desire of Italy to establish a more balanced relationship between lay society and religious society. 26. Mrs. ASHTON (Bolivia), speaking on agenda item 99 and the draft Convention against Torture, commended the efforts of the working Group which, in spite of the difficulties that it had encountered in reaching an agreement on articles 19 and 20, had been successful in having the rest of the draft adopted by consensus. Her Government expressed its concern that, in recent decades, dictatorial Governments, wielding such Fascist-like doctrines as national security, had on the pretext of serving higher government purposes, sought to impose the will of dictators and ~eir paid assassins to the detriment of their people's sovereignty. A study of the victims of torture would reveal that the majority of them were workers, students and intellectuals who, in general, were demanding more human conditions and criticizing the injustice of the established order. 27. Democratic regimes based on the sovereign will of the people rejected torture, which was a shameful burden on all mankind. It was one of the gravest violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It was therefore vitally important that international legal instruments should provide the most effective mechanisms for its prevention. It should be clearly established that the international community 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement made by a representative of a country, discussing the importance of human rights and the prevention of torture. The language used is formal and diplomatic, suggesting a international context. The text does not mention specific economic or environmental issues, nor does it discuss scientific or technological advancements.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Human rights