United States Welcomes Election of Felice Gaer to the United Nations Committee Against Torture

The United States welcomes the election on October 8 in Geneva of U.S. citizen Felice Gaer to the United Nations Committee Against Torture. The ten-member Committee is a body of experts charged with advising countries that are parties to the UN Convention Against Torture on the Convention’s implementation. The United States supports this Committee, which plays an important role in the worldwide fight against torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Ms. Gaer is an incumbent and former Vice-Chair of the Committee, with eight years of service. Her work on the Committee reflects her dedication to the global prevention of torture. She brings to the position the expertise needed to defend both the spirit and the law of the Convention. In addition to her years of service on the Committee, she has served as Director of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, from 1993 to the present. She is also the current Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, a frequent lecturer, and the author of more than 25 articles on human rights, the role of international institutions, and related topics.