A UK spokesperson said:

Thank you, Mr President, 

We thank the Special Rapporteur for her work and welcome the recommendations in the recent report on hostage-taking.  

The UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture. There are no circumstances whatsoever that justify the use of torture or hostage taking. It is an abhorrent violation of human rights and human dignity.  

We strongly believe that the prevention of torture, and tackling impunity for those who use torture, are essential components of safeguarding our security and integral to a fair legal system and the rule of law.  

We are proud to work with partners and civil society to support torture prevention initiatives globally, including through our support for the Association for the Prevention of Torture. The UK is a signatory of the Declaration against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations and remains a vocal supporter of the Canadian-led initiative in its efforts to combat this practice. 

We encourage the small minority of states which have not yet done so to ratify and implement the UN Convention against Torture, and the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages. 

Special Rapporteur,  

How can we better support states to overcome the barriers preventing them from ratifying the UN Convention against Torture?