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![Madagascar](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211209-dscf1095-min-2_0.jpg?itok=Z5kYS-oD)
The APT returned to Madagascar in December 2021, our first time in the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
![Female police officer](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211208-dscf0148-min-2_0.jpg?itok=QWshATF9)
Our work in Madagascar promotes safeguards in the first hours of police custody, particularly rights like access to family, which we know have a significant impact on reducing the risks of torture and ill-treatment.
![Stamps on page](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211208-dscf0203-min_0.jpg?itok=JP0MYT8M)
New tools we developed alongside the police – such as standardised custody registers and a letter of rights – contribute to the desire of the police to become more professional and to the APT’s torture prevention goals.
![Man in cell](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211208-dscf0166-min_0.jpg?itok=y386Nk4d)
Registers include an obligation on police to record any specific needs of detainees. This is particularly important for persons in situations of vulnerability, including children, foreigners, women and others.
![Officer reviewing registers](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211208-dscf0186-min_0.jpg?itok=Z0tX-Vym)
The mission was an opportunity to build a basis for future work on the Méndez Principles. We held a national roundtable with the authorities to introduce the Principles and discuss the steps Madagascar can take to establish a national roadmap for implementation.
![Prison cell](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211206-dscf9628-min_0.jpg?itok=cpWyUeHJ)
We also strengthened our connections with civil society and the national preventive mechanism, establishing a foundation for ongoing dialogue on how they can use their monitoring mandates to support further implementation of detention safeguards.
![Exhibition](/sites/default/files/styles/image_paragraph/public/2023-08/20211210-dscf1177-min_0.jpg?itok=JWkxNO_e)
Finally, we launched a photography exhibition that will tour the country. It showcases images and captions that will bring information about detention safeguards to a wider audience.