Thirteen members were elected to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on 20 October 2022 by the 91 States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
The election involved 16 candidates, 13 of whom had previously outlined their vision and priorities to representatives of States parties in an online ‘meet and greet’ organised by the APT and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The APT congratulates the current members who were re-elected and the newly elected members: Ms Uju Agomoh (Nigeria), Ms Vasili Artinopolou (Greece; relected), Ms Carmen Comas-Mata Mira (Spain, re-elected), Mr Hamet Diakhate (Senegal, re-elected), Ms Suzanne Jabbour (Lebanon; current Chairperson), Ms Julia Kozma (Austria), Mr Nika Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, re-elected), Mr Chris Nissen (South Africa), Ms Maria Luisa Romero (Panama, re-elected), Ms Elina Steinerte (Latvia), Ms Anica Tomsic (Croatia), Mr Juan Pablo Vegas (Peru, re-elected), (Mr Victor Zaharia (Moldova, re-elected).
The APT welcomes the new composition of the SPT, with includes a majority of women and more members from Africa.
With 25 members, the SPT is the UN’s largest human rights treaty body. It has a very strong operational mandate, which includes conducting visits to places of deprivation of liberty during country missions and providing technical advice to States and independent national oversight bodies.
Barbara Bernath, APT Secretary General, said the work of the SPT is complex and requires members to have a broad mix of expertise and skills.
We were pleased to support States get to know the candidates in the lead-up to the election so we can have a strong and effective SPT. We are now looking forward to cooperating with the new members when they commence their work from January 2023.
Barbara Bernath, APT Secretary General
Ms Bernath also thanked the six outgoing SPT members, whose terms will end on 31 December 2022, for their contribution to torture prevention: Ms Patricia Arias (Chile), Ms Maria Definis-Gojanovic (Croatia), Ms Catherine Paulet (France), Ms Nora Sveass (Norway), Mr Gnambi Kodjo (Togo) and Mr Roberto Feher Perez (Uruguay).
