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BACKGROUND NOTE

This is an updated edition of the Manual on the Effective Investigation and
Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (Istanbul Protocol). The Istanbul Protocol sets out international standards
on how effective legal and medico-legal investigations into allegations of torture or
ill-treatment should be conducted. The Istanbul Protocol was developed by 75 experts
in law, health and human rights from 40 organizations in 15 countries. It was officially
endorsed by the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary
Robinson, on 9 August 1999 and included in the Professional Training Series of the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2001 and later
updated in 2004. The Istanbul Protocol contains a series of “Istanbul Principles”,
which articulate minimum standards for State adherence to ensure the effective
investigation and documentation of torture and ill-treatment, which are further
elaborated in the manual. The Istanbul Principles were promoted in resolutions of
the General Assembly and the former Commission on Human Rights in 2000 and
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States were called upon to disseminate the Principles widely and use them in efforts to
combat torture.

The Istanbul Protocol and its Principles are routinely used as a point of reference for
measuring the effectiveness of investigations into torture by the Committee against
Torture, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other
Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In addition, the standards
laid out in the Istanbul Protocol have been applied by regional human rights bodies,
including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Inter-American Court
of Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the
European Court of Human Rights, as well as many national institutions. In his annual
report to the General Assembly in October 2014, the Special Rapporteur on torture,
Juan E. Méndez, recognized the critical role of forensic and medical sciences in the
investigation and prevention of torture and other ill-treatment. He stated that “The
Istanbul Protocol standards serve as a standard for evaluation of medical evidence, as
a reference tool for experts delivering expert opinions, as a benchmark for assessing
the effectiveness of the domestic fact-finding and as a means of redress for victims” and
that: “Quality forensic reports are revolutionizing the investigation of torture.” Such
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recognition by United Nations human rights bodies, regional human rights courts and
United Nations Special Rapporteurs has facilitated the widespread use and acceptance
of the Istanbul Protocol in medico-legal and other contexts worldwide. During the
past 20 years, the Istanbul Protocol and its Principles have been increasingly used by
State and non-State actors to guide their investigations into torture and ill-treatment.

1 General Assembly resolution 55/89.
2 Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/43.
3 A/69/387, paras. 59 and 64.

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