PRI to host Cross-Regional Conference on Torture Prevention in Tbilisi
PRI is organising a cross-regional conference on torture prevention on 25-26 June at the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel in Tbilisi. The conference will be streamed live and you can follow the conference via webcast.
The cross-regional conference aims to provide opportunities for inter-country learning and exchanges of experience. It will also seek to provide recommendations for the authorities in all participating countries aimed at improving the ability of state agencies to prevent torture and ill-treatment in their respective institutions. The conference will be conducted mostly in working groups where expert level discussion will focus on the problematic issues of torture prevention in 9 former Soviet countries. The event will be attended by experts representing UN SPT, CAT, OHCHR, CoE, CPT, government officials, representatives of national human rights institutions, National Preventive Mechanisms, as well as civil society from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The working groups will also tackle the systemic issues as well as the main differences between the preventive monitoring of the places of detention over the reactive monitoring and work with individual cases. The working groups will also cover the issues of cooperation between the existing monitoring boards and National Preventive Mechanisms under OPCAT as well as the mandates of those mechanisms. The working groups will also concentrate on the state responsibilities in addressing the torture prevention issues, including the national action plans on torture prevention as well as the role of the civil society. Reports from all working groups will be presented during the plenary sessions on both days.
The PRI synthesis report on Mechanisms for the Prevention of Torture in 9 CIS States will also be launched during the event. The report provides valuable information and analysis on the background of the mentioned countries and the reforms undertaken so far in the criminal executive and law enforcement systems in general. The report provides analysis of the main issues in torture prevention and also provides valuable recommendations for reforming the existing systems. The Synthesis report is a unique document that covers torture prevention issues with deep systemic analyses and provides meaningful recommendations to tackle the situation in accordance with international standards and best practices. Copies of the Synthesis report will be available during the conference, and on PRI’s Together Against Torture website in August.
To follow the conference via webcast please click on this link:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/penal-reform-international
The regional forum is organized in the framework of PRI’s project on strengthening institutions and building civil society capacity to combat torture in 9 post-Soviet countries. The project is funded by the European Union. The regional Conference is also supported by the South Caucasus Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights.
For further information and details please contact:
Mushegh Yekmalyan: myekmalyan@penalreform.org or Tsira Chanturia: tchanturia@penalreform.org.
Penal Reform International
South Caucasus Regional Office
16 Kikodze street, 0105 Tbilisi Georgia
Tel: (995 32) 298 35 60