UNITED NATIONSA General Assembly Distr~ GENERAL A/40/191 14August 1985 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH Fortieth session REQUEST FORTHEINCLUSION OFASUPPLEMENTARY ITEM INTHEAGENDA OFTHEFORTIETH SESSION TORTURE ANDOTHERCRUEL, INHUMAN ORDEGRADING TREATMENT ORPUNISHMENT Noteverba1e dated12August 1985fromthePermanent Representative oftheNetherlands totheUnited Nations addressed tothe Secretary-General ThePermanent Representative oftheKingdom oftheNetherlands presents his compliments totheSecretary-General oftheUnited Nations andhasthehonour to request, inaccordance withrule14oftherulesofprocedure oftheGeneral Assembly, theinclusion ofanitementitled "Torture andothercruel, inhuman or degrading treatment orpunishment" intheagendaofthefortieth session ofthe General Assembly. Anexplanatory memorandum isenclosed herewith inconformity withrule20of theabove-mentioned rulesofprocedure. 85-23043 l389p (El /...A/40/191 English page2 ANNEX EXPlanatory memorandum 1.AniternentitledI-Torture andothercruel, inhuman ordegradiogtreatment or punishmentllhasappeared ontheagenda oftheGeneral Assembly sinceitsthirtieth session, in1975. UnderthisitemtheGeneral Assembly, on10December 1984, adopted theInternational Convention against Torture andOtherCruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment orPunishment, without avote. Inapressstatement, the SecretarY-General referred totheConvention asan"extremely important milestone inthecontinuing efforts oftheUnited Nations topromote andensureqreater respect forhuman rightsll • 2.Itisproposed that,inconformity withthepractice followed inthecaseof theothermajorhumanrights instruments, theconSideration ofthestatusofthe International Convention onTorture andOtherCruel, Inhuman orDegrading Treatment orPunishment takeplaceunderaseparate agenda itema Underthisitem, consideration canbegivenalsototheUnited Nations Voluntary FundforVictims of Torture andtothequestion oftorture andothercruel, inhuman ordegrading treatment orpunishment ingenerala
**Analysis**
The text is about torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, which is a human rights issue. It seems to be requesting the inclusion of a topic on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly, which suggests that it is related to international relations and human rights.

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