National and international legal prohibitions on torture derive from a consensus that torture and similar ill-treatment are immoral, as well as impractical.

Instead, they seek to apply international prohibitions against torture, arbitrary killing and other offenses that have been formally repudiated by nearly every government throughout the world.

Amnesty International performs a similar function with respect to the treatment of political detainees and the international prohibition of torture.

But generation after generation, the world would not even consider the idea of international prohibition.

"We will support an international legal prohibition on the disposal of low-level radioactive waste in the ocean," said the Administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

For a start, the international prohibition against torture is nowhere mentioned.

Look no further than efforts by many governments to take Myanmar to task for flouting international prohibitions against forced labor.

The Bush administration's sanctions, as well as other international prohibitions, do not rule out assistance to help alleviate some of the poverty.

Thus, an international prohibition of the slave trade throughout their respected spheres was signed by the European members.

On Tuesday five private international organizations plan to announce the formation of a coalition to fight for an international prohibition against recruiting anyone under 18.