The Organization of American States (OAS)* adopted the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture in 1985. It is one in a series of documents by the OAS to protect human rights in the Americas. The document was created in response to the UN convention passed the year earlier and defines torture more expansively than its UN counterpart.
*The Organization of American States is a regional organization founded in 1948. Its goals are to promote cooperation and to strengthen peace and security in the region. All 35 countries in the Americas are members of OAS.
Anti-torture activists protest against Guantanamo Bay (Getty Images via Al Jazeera)