United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CAT/C/BEN/CO/3 Distr.: General 4 June 2019 English Original: French Committee against Torture Concluding observations on the third periodic report of Benin* 1. The Committee against Torture considered the third periodic report of Benin (CAT/C/BEN/3) at its 1734th and 1737th meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1734 and CAT/C/SR.1737), held on 2 and 3 May 2019, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 1752nd meeting, held on 15 May 2019. A. Introduction 2. The Committee notes the submission of the third periodic report of the State party but regrets that it was submitted six years late. It welcomes the opportunity to renew its constructive dialogue with the State party on the measures taken to implement the provisions of the Convention. The Committee is grateful to the State party for its written replies (CAT/C/BEN/Q/3/Add.2) to the list of issues (CAT/C/BEN/Q/3/Add.1), which were supplemented by the oral responses provided by the delegation. B. Positive aspects 3. The Committee welcomes the ratification of or accession to the following international instruments by the State party: (a) The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, in 2012; (b) The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, in 2012; (c) The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, in 2017; (d) The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, in 2018. 4. The Committee also welcomes the adoption of the following legislative measures by the State party in areas of relevance to the Convention: (a) offences; Act No. 2011-20 of 12 October 2011 on combating corruption and related (b) Act No. 2011-26 of 9 January 2012 on the prevention and punishment of violence against women; * Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-sixth session (23 April–17 May 2019). GE.19-08899 (E) 300919  091019

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