26. Mr. TROUVEROY (Belgium) said that too many countries failed to respect the principle contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which said that "no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". Despite the progress made in other areas, certain practices worthy of the Middle Ages still had not been eliminated, and some new techniques were being used for more refined cruelty and torture. The enormous physical and mental suffering which, according to many accounts, was being inflicted on many people for various reasons constituted the most flagrant violation of human rights. 27. The defence of those rights was one of the most important tasks of the United Nations and one of the most positive aspects of its activity. If the Organization was not to lose its credibility, it could not tolerate the physical destruction and, above all, the moral and intellectual destruction of so many people. The alarming world-wide increase in torture could not be viewed with indifference; it mattered to everyone. The entire international community should therefore bring pressure to bear in order to put an end to those odious practices. 28. Torture was prohibited by various international instruments, but they were of a limited nature. The international community should do more than proclaim principles: it was essential to create a submission and evaluation procedure for reports by States and a control mechanism within the framework of the obligatory implementation of the convention. The best way to combat that scourge would be the immediate adoption of the draft convention against torture. 29. His delegation felt that the draft submitted to the Committee was a compromise text and, as such, continued to create difficulties. Belgium therefore wished to 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the violation of human rights, specifically the use of torture and cruel treatment, and the need for the international community to take action to prevent and punish such practices. The focus is on the protection of human dignity and the importance of upholding international human rights instruments.

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