Policy | New York, 24 November 2018

Today, Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström is co-chairing the first Ministerial meeting of the Alliance for Torture-Free Trade at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Alliance, set up last year and encompassing almost 60 countries around the world, will take stock of progress to ban the trade in goods used for torture and the death penalty. More countries will join the Alliance at the Ministerial meeting today, and members will discuss how to launch work towards a binding United Nations convention to stop this trade.

The cooperation concerns products like batons with metal spikes, electric shock belts, grabbers that seize people while electrocuting them, chemicals used for executions, as well as gas chambers and electric chairs.

By joining the Alliance, countries commit to controlling and restricting exports of these goods, and making it easier for customs authorities to track down shipments and identifying new products.

The meeting will be opened by United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, followed by contributions from Ministers and a series of international experts, among them Secretary-General of Amnesty International Kumi Naidoo.

The event starts at 3PM local time/21:00 CET, and will be broadcast live on UNTV. Video and photographs will also be available on EbS. More information about the Alliance for Torture-Free Trade on torturefreetrade.org