THEMATIC REPORT 2017 REDRESS AND REPARATIONS Commission (UHRC) received and registered a total of 286 complaints on torture and conducted tribunal hearings on the same between January and October 2016. Once UHRC receives clients who have allegedly been tortured, they are referred to ACTV for treatment and rehabilitation and medico-legal reports are compiled and presented to the UHRC by ACTV. Importantly, the UHRC does not convict perpetrators of torture but rather, through its tribunal, awards victims compensation. Thus far, 24 decisions have been delivered and compensation granted for these cases. According to ACTV, the time taken to access compensation awards via this route takes several years and once the compensation has been awarded by the tribunal there is no guarantee that the funds will actually be released. ACTV has conducted its own study on compensation awarded to a sample of 40 torture victims it treats who had been awarded compensation by the UHRC. Out of this sample, 28 clients (70 percent) had not received their compensation awards while only 12 clients (30 percent) had received the compensation paid out (see Figure 9). This delay is attributed to the government taking a long time to release the funds through the ministry concerned. Figure 9. Compensation Awards to Torture Victims in Uganda· Specialised state rehabilitation programmes are non-existent or ineffective 12 30% 70% 28 Compensation awarded, but not paid Compensation award paid Note: · Based on a sample of 40 torture victims treated by ACTV. In the Philippines, the anti-torture legislation mandates the formulation of a rehabilitation programme within one year of the law taking effect.41 So far, the government agencies responsible for establishing the programme – the departments of Health (DOH), Justice (DOJ) and Social Welfare (DSWD) - have issued a framework for a rehabilitation programme but since then have failed to coordinate their work. The DSWD – in collaboration with Balay - has come up with its guidelines and programmes to provide services to torture victims and their family members. It has also allotted some funds to roll-out its rehabilitation programme in pilot areas. Seminars for social workers – and some health workers -have been initiated in partnership with Balay. To date, Balay has facilitated the access of more than 80 torture victims to the DSWD services. It has also referred some victims for treatment to government hospitals. The DOH has also issued a medical assistance programme for torture victims. The state rehabilitation programme is still a work in progress and an inter-agency forum has been set up to promote coordination among the government agencies. Without this coordination or a designated governmental agency to lead page 39