16/74 Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - Note by the Secretary-General

GE.11-10411

Human Rights Council Sixteenth session Agenda item 2 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General

Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Note by the Secretary-General*

Summary This note provides information on the status of the Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

* Late submission.

I. Introduction

A. Submission of the report

1. The present note was prepared in accordance with the arrangements approved by the General Assembly in its resolution 64/153, by which it encouraged contributions to the Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Optional Protocol), and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Human Rights Council on the Special Fund.

B. Mandate of the Special Fund

2. The Special Fund was established in accordance with article 26 of the Optional Protocol, to help finance the implementation of the recommendations made by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (Subcommittee on Prevention) after a visit to a State Party, as well as education programmes of national preventive mechanisms.

3. The Special Fund receives voluntary contributions from Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and other private or public entities.

C. Management of the Special Fund

4. The Special Fund is administered by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with the financial regulations and rules of the United Nations. Information will be provided, as requested by the General Assembly, when expenditures have occurred.

II. Financial situation of the Special Fund

5. As at 31 December 2010, the following contributions to the Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol had been received: US$20,271.52 from the Czech Republic; US$5,000 from the Maldives, and US$82,266.30 from Spain. The table below shows the contributions made by country.

Contributions received from 2008-2010

Donors Amount

(in United States dollars) Date of receipt

Czech Republic 10 000.00 16 November 2009

Czech Republic 10 271.52 30 December 2010

Maldives 5 000.00 27 May 2008

Spain 25 906.74 16 December 2008

Spain 29 585.80 10 November 2009

Spain 26 773.76 29 December 2010

III. Making a contribution

6. Contributions to the Fund should always be marked “payee: Special Fund established by the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, account CH”. Payments may be made either by bank transfer (a) in United States dollars to UNOG General Fund, account No. 485001802, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, 43rd floor, New York, NY 10017, United States of America (Swift code: CHAS US 33; ABA code: 021000021); (b) in Euros to the UN Office at Geneva, account No. 6161600934, J.P. Morgan Chase AG, Grueneburgweg 2 – 60322 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (Swift code: CHAS DE FX, bank number: (BLZ) 50110800, IBAN: DE78 5011 0800 6161 6009 34); (c) in sterling pounds to the UN Office at Geneva, account No. 23961903, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, 25 London Wall, London EC2Y 5AJ, United Kingdom (Swift code: CHAS GB 2L, bank number: 609242, IBAN: GB68 CHAS 6092 4223 9619 03); (d) in Swiss francs to the UN Geneva General Fund, account No. 240-C0590160.0, UBS AG, rue du Rhône 8, case postale 2600, CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland (Swift code: UBSW CH ZH 80A; bank number: 240; IBAN: CH92 0024 0240 CO59 0160 0); (e) in other currencies to the UN Geneva General Fund, account No. 240-C0590160.1, UBS AG, rue du Rhône 8, case postale 2600, CH-1211Geneva 2, Switzerland (Swift code: UBSW CH ZH 80A; bank number: 240; IBAN: CH65 0024 0240 CO59 0160 1); (f) by cheque payable to the “United Nations”, addressed to Trésorerie, Nations Unies, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.

7. Donors are requested to inform the Donor and External Relations Section of OHCHR when a payment has been made (including a copy of the bank transfer order or the cheque) to facilitate effective follow-up on the official recording procedure and preparation of reports of the Secretary-General.

IV. Conclusions and recommendations

8. Governments are strongly encouraged to contribute to the Special Fund, in order to provide the Special Fund with the resources required to carry out its mandate.