GENEVA (12 March 2025) – The UN
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) hails the
setting up of the national preventive mechanisms (NPMs) in
Benin, Madagascar, Nigeria, and South Africa as a
significant step in advancing and fulfilling their
obligations under the Optional
Protocol to the Convention against Torture
(OPCAT).
“The OPCAT’s torture prevention
architecture is built on the partnership between the SPT,
the international body designated by the treaty, and the
NPMs, our national counterparts. These national partners
play a crucial role in making the system work effectively.
Today, we are delighted to welcome the NPMs of Benin,
Madagascar, Nigeria, and South Africa to the global family
of nearly 80
NPMs,” said María Luisa Romero, the SPT
Chair.
“They now have the demanding tasks of
ensuring their independence and effectiveness, as outlined
in the OPCAT. At the same time, the authorities also have a
duty to respect the NPMs’ independence, provide financial
resources to support their mandate, and implement their
recommendations in good faith. The SPT stands ready to
assist, advise and support these four new NPMs,” she
added.
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Under the OPCAT, the SPT monitors treatment and
conditions for people deprived of liberty by conducting
unannounced visits to police stations, prisons, psychiatric
hospitals, immigration detention centres, drug
rehabilitation centres and other places of deprivation of
liberty. In this task, the SPT works closely with government
authorities, the NPMs, other domestic monitoring bodies, as
well as human rights institutions, and civil society to
strengthen torture preventive
measures.
