Five national institutions in Indonesia are advancing in their efforts to strengthen their monitoring role to prevent torture and ill-treatment in place of detention. In August, the APT organised a two-day workshop for these institutions, focusing on the role of the OPCAT and oversight mechanisms.
In February 2016, a national seminar on the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) gathered some 120 torture prevention actors in Indonesia. Since then, five national institutions (KOMNAS HAM, the Women Commission, the Children Commission, the Ombudsman and the Witness and Victim Protection Agency) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to strengthen their future relations with law enforcement agencies.
To follow up on the February conference, the APT organised on 11 and 12 August, jointly with KOMNAS HAM, a two-day workshop in Jakarta. The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the understanding of 25 key staff from the five institutions on the preventive approach, OPCAT obligations and the importance of establishing an effective National Preventive Mechanism. The workshop also allowed participants to build a better understanding about their different roles and mandates.
The passion and commitment shown by the five national institutions can boost the ongoing reflection on OPCAT ratification in Indonesia, especially in light of its Universal Periodic Review in 2017.
