What is CAT?
The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, commonly known as the Convention Against Torture (CAT), is an international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1984.

The Convention defines torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for purposes such as obtaining information, punishment, or intimidation, and which is carried out by a public official or a person acting with official authorization or consent. It also prohibits other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, which may not reach the threshold of torture but still violate human dignity.

The Convention requires state parties to take effective measures to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, to investigate and prosecute allegations of torture, and to provide redress and rehabilitation for victims of torture. It also prohibits the use of evidence obtained through torture in legal proceedings.

As of February 2023, 169 countries have ratified or acceded to the Convention, making it one of the most widely accepted human rights treaties in the world.