America accused of 'undermining anti-torture laws'

The Bush administration was accused yesterday of undermining another international agreement after it emerged that the US plans to vote against a United Nations measure aimed at stopping the torture of prisoners.

US officials said they intended to seek an amendment during a vote at the UN Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc) to rework substantially details of a plan adopted by the council in April.

The convention on torture was passed in 1989 and has been ratified by about 130 countries, including the US. The new protocol would be optional. Its objective is "to establish a system of regular visits undertaken by independent and national bodies to places where people are deprived of their liberty ... to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment".

Foremost among US concerns is over calls for independent inspectors to have access to US prisoners in federal and state prisons. A US official said America's representative at Ecosoc planned to ask the council to reopen negotiations.

"We are not trying to block anything," he said. "But we do have concerns ... For instance, because of the separation of powers we don't have the power to allow inspections of state prisons." Another stumbling block is the demand for access to the alleged Taliban and al-Qa'ida fighters being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Martin MacPherson, a spokesman for Amnesty International, said: "A vote against the optional protocol would be a disastrous setback in the fight against torture." Rory Mungoven, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch, said: "Yet again, the Bush administration is on a collision course with its allies over an important new mechanism to protect human rights. Last week, it was the International Criminal Court; this week, it's the prevention of torture."