The Resurgence of Torture: New Realities in International Relations

Dr. Alice Edwards is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture — the first woman to hold the mandate in its 40-year history. She has documented human rights violations and advocated for justice, rehabilitation and peace on behalf of victims and survivors in major wars, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Mozambique, Russia-Ukraine, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, and Palestine and Israel. Previously, she served as the chief legal adviser at the UN Refugee Agency (2000-2015) and led the inter-governmental Convention against Torture Initiative (2016-2021), supporting states to ratify the Convention and strengthen implementation of international law. In 2024, she was nominated for Australian of the Year.