Preventing torture in places of detention

Torture is one of the most serious abuses of a person's fundamental rights. It is a complete violation of a person's dignity and humanity.

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment places an absolute prohibition on torture and ill-treatment of people held in detention.

However, there is inevitably a gap between what the law says should happen and what happens in practice. Preventing torture is about narrowing that gap.

Across the Asia Pacific, staff and Commissioners from national human rights institutions (NHRIs) regularly monitor places of detention, from prisons and police lock ups to immigration detention centres and closed psychiatric facilities.

NHRIs also investigate allegations of torture, train law enforcement officials, promote public awareness and recommend changes to national laws and detention policies.

Their work has been critical in driving positive changes to laws, policies, practices and community attitudes in many countries across the region.

NHRIs also advocate that their State ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, an international treaty that establishes a system for carrying out independent visits to places of detention by monitoring teams known as a 'national preventive mechanism'.

In some countries, the NHRI is designated as the sole national preventive mechanism. In other countries, it can involve representatives from the NHRI working in partnership with representatives from civil society organisations.

The APF supports member institutions to carry out this important work by running a blended learning training program on preventing torture.

We are also working with the Association for the Prevention of Torture on a three-year series of activities funded by the European Union to strengthen the capacity of NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment. A key part of this program is the innovative Torture Prevention Ambassadors project.