The Question of Torture: Scandinavian States and the Human Rights Issue of Torture, 1967 - 1984

Abstract

This study examines the role played by Scandinavian states in modern anti-torture politics between 1967 and 1984. The thesis addresses three critical junctures in the history of the human rights issue of torture: The so-called “Greek Case” that unfolded within the European Human Rights framework from 1967 to 1970, the introduction of the UN Declaration against Torture in 1975, and the establishment of the UN Convention against Torture in 1984. At all three junctures, one or more Scandinavian states actively participated. By studying the interactions of officials involved, the thesis shed light on polices that expanded the boundaries of international human rights law. The fundamental question addressed in this study is whether Denmark, Norway and Sweden coordinated efforts in the pursuit of the UN Declaration and Convention against Torture. It is argued that there were a high level of interaction, and even cooperation, among these states, most notably through the preexisting framework for Nordic cooperation on foreign policy, during the establishment of both instruments. What started as a Swedish initiative at the UN in 1973, became a pursuit of new international instruments against torture, and, ultimately, affected the human rights policies of all Scandinavian states.