In May 2017 the Committee Against Torture examined several states’ implementation of the Convention Against Torture. Articles 1, 2, 4 and 16 of the Convention impose an obligation on states to prohibit all forms of corporal punishment, in the penal system and all other settings. On this basis, the Committee issued recommendations to the following states:

• Afghanistan – the Committee expressed concern at the absence of a clear legal ban of judicial corporal punishment and at its use by armed groups present in the country. It recommended that Afghanistan clearly prohibit in legislation all forms of corporal punishment, including as a sanction for a crime of “honour”.
• Bahrain – the Committee recommended that the Government enact legislation explicitly prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings.
• Pakistan – the Committee expressed concern at the legality of judicial corporal punishment and urged Pakistan to “take the necessary legislative measures to eradicate and explicitly prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in all settings”.
• Republic of Korea – the Committee stated its concern at the legality of corporal punishment of children in homes, in care settings and in schools, outside of Seoul. It recommended that the Government enact legislation clearly prohibiting corporal punishment in all settings and in all parts of the country.

For further details, see the Global Initiative’s individual country reports for Afghanistan, Bahrain, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea.

For further information on the obligation to prohibit corporal punishment under the Convention Against Torture and to see the Committee’s recommendations in full, see the Global Initiative’s page on the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.