in more recent years, un representatives have strengthened their efforts to stop solitary confinement from being used worldwide. the urgency with which representatives have undertaken these efforts is largely due to the un special rapporteurs on torture, manfred nowak and juan méndez. nowak and méndez have both "repeatedly unequivocally stated that prolonged solitary confinement is cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and may amount to torture". nowak and méndez have been especially critical of long-term or prolonged solitary confinement, which they define as lasting fifteen days or more. their authority and explicit characterization of solitary confinement as cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment has led the un to include long-term to indefinite solitary confinement in the group of practices that violate the provisions outlined in the udhr, iccpr, and cat. solitary confinement lasting for a short period of time, however, is allowed under international law when used as a last resort, though nowak, mendez, and many other un representatives believe that the practice should be abolished altogether.