The Méndez Principles provide an alternative to coercive and confession-based interrogation. They promote rapport-based interviewing, combined with the implementation of safeguards, during criminal justice investigations and other forms of information gathering processes. As such, they provide guidance for policy-makers and decision-makers on effective interviewing that avoids torture and ill-treatment, while making the investigation and prevention of crime much more effective and consistent with existing obligations under international human rights law.
This paper provides an analysis of how the Principles are a crucial reference for the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT).
