The OPCAT Global Forum, organised by the APT in November 2011, brought together, for the first time, all States Parties, National Preventive Mechanisms and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, to take stock on the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.
The Forum report provides an analytical record of the rich and constructive discussions that took place over two days and highlights ways forward to strengthen the prevention of torture through the OPCAT.
The Forum participants re-emphasised that although there are challenges, by working together it is possible to find concrete ways to strengthen the prevention of torture through the OPCAT. Key focus areas of discussion were: the OPCAT as a living instrument; how the OPCAT mechanisms can be strengthened; understanding the prevention of torture and how it can be ensured in practice; and strategies for effectively preventing torture through the OPCAT in the different regions of the world.
The APT hopes that the Forum report will provide a reference for those working directly with the OPCAT system, as well as a promotion and advocacy tool for actors seeking to prevent of torture worldwide.
Download the report (PDF) (English, French, Russian and Spanish)
The report will be soon available in Arabic.
For further information, please contact Audrey Olivier, OPCAT Programme Officer
