World Organisation Against Torture

World Organisation Against Torture

The World Organisation Against Torture (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture, OMCT) is the world’s largest coalition of non-governmental organisations fighting against arbitrary detention, torture, summary and extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and other forms of violence. The global network consists of almost 300 local, national and regional organisations, which share the goal of eradicating torture and fostering respect of human rights for all.

The OMCT's Prevention of Torture programme helps its members prevent and report torture by strengthening their capacity through the SOS-Torture network to use United Nations human rights mechanisms. The programme submits alternative reports to UN Committees in collaboration with local NGOs, provides support for individuals and organisations wishing to challenge torture practices in international legal fora and publishes a practical guide on international and regional conventional mechanisms relevant to torture. OMCT is also mainstreaming women’s and children’s issues into the UN human rights mechanisms.

On 4 October 2007, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan became the new president of the OMCT Supporting Foundation.[1]

Contents

Activities

OMCT contributes to UN activities through three main activities.

Reporting

OMCT submits alternative reports to the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT), the Human Rights Committee (HRC) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), working with local NGOs. Reporting activities are designed to encourage national NGOs to report torture and follow up reports of torture through:

  • the participation of local NGOs in drafting alternative reports and actively including them in relevant Committees’ sessions, with the possibility of a follow-up meeting in the field;
  • an integrated approach to questions relating to protection from torture and other ill-treatment of women and children, by involving organisations specialised in these issues in drafting alternative reports and in relevant Committees’ sessions;
  • greater dissemination of reports and of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Committees in English and in the preferred language of the relevant country, through the publication of the reports that have been submitted.

Legal support

OMCT supports individuals and organisations wishing to challenge torture practices in international legal forums. Complaint mechanisms can be used to achieve a number of different objectives including:

  • protection for victims or persons under threat;
  • obtaining reparations and compensation for victims;
  • putting pressure on governments to end impunity in specific cases; and
  • achieving changes in legislation and State practice which lead to serious human rights violations.

Many NGOs are not fully aware of how to use UN procedures to support their work in protecting victims from torture. OMCT hopes to encourage and assist partner NGOs that are already active in the struggle against torture to present individual complaints and other relevant information to the CAT, the HRC, and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Practical guidance

OMCT publishes a practical guide on international and regional conventional mechanisms relevant to torture. This Handbook is conceived as a tool for action. It addresses the practical needs of anybody using international mechanisms and bodies to challenge torture practices.

See also

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Torture — Torture, according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture, is any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person,… …   Wikipedia

  • Torture in Bahrain — In 2005, the United Nations Committee Against Torture reported in a judgement that there is no systematic torture in Bahrain since it had started the implementation of reforms in 2001. [http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CAT.C.CR.34.BHR.En?… …   Wikipedia

  • Torturé — Torture Supplice de la roue. La torture est l imposition volontaire de sévices d ordre physique ou psychologique qui visent à faire souffrir un individu. Lorsque la torture accompagne l exécution d une condamnation à mort on parle plutôt de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Torture — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Torture (homonymie). Variété d instruments de torture. La torture est l imposition volontaire de …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Organisation de l'armée secrète — Organization s emblem The Organisation de l armée secrète (OAS or Organisation armée secrète, lit. Organization of the Secret Army or Secret Armed Organization ) was a short lived, French far right nationalist militant and underground… …   Wikipedia

  • World War II — Seconde Guerre mondiale Pour les articles homonymes, voir Guerre mondiale. Seconde Gue …   Wikipédia en Français

  • International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims — The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), is an independent, international health professional organisation that promotes and supports the rehabilitation of torture victims and works for the prevention of torture… …   Wikipedia

  • Redress (charitable organisation) — Infobox Organization name = image border = 1px size = caption = msize = mcaption = abbreviation = motto = formation = Dec. 1992 extinction = type = status = Charitable organization purpose = Seeking reparations for torture survivors headquarters …   Wikipedia

  • Committee for the Prevention of Torture — The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment or shortly Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) is the anti torture committee of the Council of Europe. It has been described as a… …   Wikipedia

  • Human rights — Rights Theoretical distinctions Natural and legal rights Claim rights and liberty rights Negative and positive rights Individual an …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”