New Manual to Implement the Global Torture Prevention System

A new manual: 'The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture: Implementation Manual' addresses all the questions on implementation of this innovative international human rights treaty. Drawing on initial good practice from all world regions, the manual is designed to serve as a practical reference tool for international, regional and national stakeholders involved in OPCAT ratification and implementation.

Its appearance is very timely as ratifications approach 60 and the UN Subcommittee on Prevention increases in size, on 28 October 2010, to 25 members, to become the largest human rights treaty body.

This updated and revised version of the APT-IIHR (Inter-American Institute of Human Rights) manual on the international system to prevent torture is divided into five chapters, each of which can be read separately:

•         Fundamental aspects of the OPCAT
•         Commentary on OPCAT articles
•         The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT)
•         OPCAT Ratification and designation of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs)
•         Operational functioning of NPMs.

An electronic version of the manual is now available to download in Arabic, Bulgarian, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai. If you wish to order a hard copy of this leading publication on the OPCAT, please send an e-mail to APT.