The use of torture, often a function of legal systems in some countries that have no mechanisms in place to prevent it, is the focus of a major international conference. The conference, co-organised by the University of Bristol, is being held in Prague this week [25 to 26 November].
The event will look at the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT), an international inspection system, which aims to prevent torture through the establishment of national and international bodies with powers to visit places of detention.
Co-organised by the University’s School of Law and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the conference will be a platform to debate various issues surrounding the establishment and operation of these visiting bodies.
The event will bring together high-profile experts and representatives from human rights organisations, national institutions and governments from all over the world. Delegates from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Slovenia, Sweden, the UK and Ukraine as well as many local representatives from the Czech Republic will be participating.
The event is part of a three-year research project at the University, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), which aims to study the OPCAT and the effectiveness of national torture preventive mechanisms. The conference has been organised with funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Carsten Weber, Chief of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Rule of Law Unit, said: “We see the OPCAT as a very promising tool in the area of torture prevention throughout the OSCE region and encourage participating States to ratify and implement the protocol.
“I hope that best practices we may be able to identify at the conference will assist countries to develop models for more effective implementation of the OPCAT and advance the anti-torture agenda throughout the area.”
For more information about the conference visit the University’s School of Law website.