To European Union Bodies: To the Counter-terrorism Coordinator • Reaffirm in all the Coordinator’s activities and related documents, including in communications to the European Council, that diplomatic assurances in relation to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment are inherently unreliable and do not provide an effective safeguard against abusive treatment. Reaffirm that the use of diplomatic assurances against risk of torture and ill-treatment undermines the nonrefoulement obligation enshrined in international law. To the European Parliament • Ensure that any draft resolution coming before the Parliament which refers to actions to combat terrorism makes appropriate reference to member states’ absolute obligation not to expel, return, extradite, or otherwise transfer any person to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment (prohibited ill-treatment). To the European Commission • Include in the June 2005 progress report requested from the Commission and the Council’s General Secretariat by the Brussels European Council of December 2004 the recommendation for a declaration that reliance upon diplomatic assurances against torture and ill-treatment is unacceptable in the circumstances described in the second recommendation of this report. To the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: • Affirm the inherently unreliable nature of diplomatic assurances against torture and ill-treatment and recommend that all Organization of American States (OAS) member states desist from reliance upon such assurances. 91 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH VOL. 17 NO. 4(D)