About the mandate of the Torture Fund

In 1981, the United Nations General Assembly established the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture through resolution 36/151. It aims to ensure that victims of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment obtain redress and are awarded fair and adequate compensation and receive appropriate social, psychological, medical and other relevant specialized rehabilitation.

The Fund awards annual grants to civil society organizations delivering these services to individuals whose human rights have been severely violated as a result of torture and to the relatives of such victims.

Priority is given to aid to victims of violations by States in which the human rights situation has been the subject of resolutions or decisions adopted by either the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council or the Commission on Human Rights.

The fund is administered in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of UN with the advice of a Board of Trustees with relevant experience in the field of human rights and torture in particular, who will serve in their personal capacity.