More than 80 national human rights institutions (NHRIs) from all global regions have agreed to a comprehensive plan of action to address torture that places the prevention of torture at the heart of their collective efforts.
The Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the 14th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions which focused on the role of NHRIs in the fight against torture and other ill-treatment, calls on NHRIs to:
- Advocate for national legal frameworks and reforms that support the prohibition and the prevention of torture and other ill-treatment, in line with international human rights law
- Contribute to the effective implementation of these legal frameworks, to bridge the gap between law and practice, including through the fight against impunity and ensuring access to justice
- Act as control mechanisms against torture, through functions related to cooperation with international and regional bodies, monitoring places of deprivation of liberty, reporting and follow-up on recommendations, and public awareness-raising activities.
The APT contributed substantially to the drafting of the Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration, drawing on decades of work with NHRIs, including on OPCAT implementation.
The declaration looks at the different situations, including when NHRIs operate as their country’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).
The Declaration recognises the vital need for NHRIs to pay particular attention to groups of persons experiencing situations of vulnerability when deprived of liberty, including women and girls, persons with disabilities, older persons, children, refugees, internally displaced persons, LGBTQI+ persons and foreign nationals, among others.
NHRIs also committed to integrating a victim-centred approach in their work, that “acknowledges the experiences of victims and survivors and the harm suffered, and which seeks redress that is responsive to their needs”.
The APT welcomes the Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration as a good roadmap for the future. We look forward to assisting NHRIs in their efforts to comprehensively address torture and other ill-treatment, its risks and root causes.
The APT helped guide some discussions during the three-day conference, with APT Secretary General Barbara Bernath moderating a session exploring the role of NPMs and their interaction with the work of NHRIs, as 57 of the current 77 NPMs around the globe are NHRIs. .
Other sessions explored the role of NHRIs: to protect at-risk persons and marginalised groups from torture and other ill-treatment; to monitor, inspect and document places of deprivation of liberty; and to promote the right to freedom from torture through education, training, awareness-raising, and reporting.
APT Senior Adviser for Oversight Ben Buckland helped facilitate working group discussions on good practices, challenges and opportunities for NHRIs and their work on torture and other ill-treatment.
The conference, held in Copenhagen from 6-8 November 2023, was co-hosted by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
