A/73/207 form of physical and sexual violence or systemic neglect, remains rampant against persons with physical, psychosocial or intellectual disabilities in a wide variety of contexts and is often combined with the denial of accessible channels of complaint or communication. Disability can intersect with other vulnerabilities that exacerbate the risk of abuse and disempowerment, such as migration status, socioeconomic background or childhood (A/55/290, para. 12, and A/HRC/28/68, para. 53). (j) Irregular migrants 73. Throughout the world, migrants in irregular situations face State policies and practices that directly subject them to torture or ill-treatment or expose them to a heightened risk of such abuse. In addition, irregular migrants often face a wide range of intersecting vulnerabilities, stemming from trauma, personal characteristics, societal factors including racism and xenophobia, as well as from the circumstances in which State policies place them by focusing on deterrence, criminalization and discrimination rather than protection, human rights and non-discrimination (A/HRC/37/50). 3. Non-discrimination as a precondition for the eradication of torture 74. While it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list of groups or persons i n situations of vulnerability, the examples outlined above illustrate that any form of discrimination, whether through stigmatization, demonization, marginalization, disregard or otherwise, almost invariably entails a significantly increased risk of torture and related ill-treatment. As this mandate has previously stated, “discrimination… may often contribute to the process of the dehumanization of the victim, which is often a necessary condition for torture and ill-treatment to take place” (A/56/156, para. 19). Indeed, not only is the principle of non-discrimination a general principle in the protection of human rights, but the intentional infliction of severe pain and suffering “for any reason based on discrimination of any kind” also constitutes a distinct form of torture. 19 Resisting dehumanizing ideologies that mark certain persons or groups as inferior or unworthy of human rights protections is an indispensable precondition for the prohibition of torture and il l-treatment but also for the fulfilment of the promises enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a whole. IV. Conclusions 75. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unprecedented efforts have been made by States, international organizations, civil society and private citizens to eradicate torture and other ill-treatment throughout the world. In particular, the universal recognition of the absolute, non-derogable and peremptory character of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and the sophisticated international normative and institutional framework developed to make it a practical reality constitute one of the most significant achievements in human history towards securing respect for the dignity of all human beings without exception or discrimination of any kind and regardless of questions of jurisdiction, territory and nationality. 76. Despite this extraordinary achievement, torture and ill-treatment continue to be practised with impunity throughout the world. While the reasons for this sobering reality are many and multilayered, the Special Rapporteur, to the best __________________ 19 20/23 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (art. 1) and Committee against Torture, general comment No. 2 (para. 20). 18-12051