D. Recommendations
99. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Incorporate in its domestic law the definition of torture set out in article 1 of the Convention and characterize acts of
torture as a specific crime, punishable by appropriate sanctions;
(b) Take effective measures to establish and ensure a fully independent and professional judiciary in conformity with
international standards, notably the Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary, if necessary by calling for
international cooperation;
(c) Ensure prompt, impartial and full investigations into the many allegations of torture reported to the authorities and
the prosecution and punishment, as appropriate, of the perpetrators;
(d) Establish an independent body competent to deal with complaints against the police and other law enforcement
personnel;
(e) Take all the necessary measures to ensure that the requirement of article 3 of the Convention is taken into
consideration when deciding on the expulsion, return or extradition of foreigners;
(f) Take measures to ensure that evidence obtained under torture is not invoked in court;
(g) Take all the necessary measures to guarantee access to justice for all the people of Cambodia, particularly the poor
and the inhabitants of rural and remote areas of the country;
(h) Undertake all necessary measures to guarantee to any person deprived of his or her liberty the right of defence and,
consequently, the right to be assisted by a lawyer, if necessary at the State’s expense;
(i) Take urgent measures to improve conditions of detention in police stations and prisons. It should, moreover, increase
its efforts to remedy prison overcrowding and establish a systematic and independent system to monitor the treatment in
practice of persons arrested, detained or imprisoned. In this connection, the State party should consider signing and
ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention;
(j) Reinforce human rights education and promotion activities in general, and regarding the prohibition of torture in
particular, for law enforcement officials and medical personnel, and introduce training in these subjects in official
education programmes;
(k) Take measures to regulate and institutionalize the right of victims of torture to fair and adequate compensation and
to establish programmes for their physical and mental rehabilitation;
(l) Ensure that the reported practice of unlawful trafficking of persons is suppressed;
(m) Provide data on: (a) the number of persons held in prisons and places of detention, disaggregated by age, gender,
ethnicity, geography and type of crime; (b) the number, types and results of cases, both disciplinary and criminal, of
police and other law enforcement personnel accused of torture and related offences;
(n) Ensure the wide distribution of these conclusions and recommendations throughout Cambodia, in all the major
languages.
100. The Committee requests the State party to provide responses to the questions asked by its members and to the
issues raised in the present provisional conclusions and recommendations by 31 August 2003.
ICELAND
101.The Committee considered the second periodic report of Iceland (CAT/C/59/Add.2) at its 552nd, 555th and 568th meetings
(CAT/C/SR.552, 555 and 568), held on 1, 2 and 13 May 2003, and adopted the following conclusions and recommendations.
A. Introduction
102.The Committee welcomes the second periodic report of Iceland, which was submitted on time and conforms fully with the
guidelines of the Committee for the preparation of States parties’ periodic reports. The Committee thanks the Government of Iceland
and its delegation for the genuine cooperation and constructive dialogue.
B. Positive aspects
103.The Committee notes with satisfaction that it did not receive any complaint of torture having taken place in Iceland.
104.The Committee welcomes the following developments: (a) the new Act on Protection of Children, No. 80/2000, which offers
greater protection to children; (b) the new Act on Foreigners, No. 96/2002, which gives foreigners greater protection; (c) the
amendments to the Police Act, which provides for allegations that an offence has been committed by a member of the police force to
be submitted directly to the General Prosecutor for investigation.
105.The Committee notes with satisfaction that remand prisoners who are kept in solitary confinement have the right to have the