APT and the Council of Europe

Date: 14 May 2008
Place:
Strasbourg
Purpose:
To discuss on-going and future cooperation between the APT and various institutions of the Council of Europe. Activities: The APT met in Strasbourg with various representatives of the Council of Europe in order to discuss ongoing and future cooperation between the APT and various institutions of the Council of Europe. The APT Secretary General, Mark Thomson, and the APT Europe & Central Asia Programme Officer had a range of meetings with representatives from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Human Rights Law and Policy Division of the Council of Europe’s Secretariat as well as the 'Police and Human Rights - Beyond 2000' unit. Outcome: Although the APT currently enjoys good cooperation with these bodies, this visit was a perfect opportunity to discuss possible ways of enhancing future cooperation in the domain of torture prevention. In particular, the APT discussed how the Council of Europe's various institutions might work together to further promote the effective implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture among member states of the Council of Europe, 17 of which have ratified the instrument. Contact Person: Matthew Pringle, APT Europe & Central Asia Programme Officer