What do we do

With a view to improving international prevention, the International Coalition to End Torture provides training on visiting places of detention; gives advice on the establishment and functioning of international prevention mechanisms; and advocates for legislative reform, ratification, and implementation of relevant international treaties. The End Torture works in cooperation with a relatively broad variety of partners, who share its objectives, such as state authorities, police services, the judiciary, international human rights institutions, international organizations, and NGOs.

Develop legal instruments

The End Torture assists in the drafting and implementation of international and regional legal instruments to prevent torture. These include the UN Convention against Torture and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT); the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and the Robben Island Guidelines for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture in Africa.

Advocate for preventive mechanisms

The End Torture advocates and lobbies governments, national institutions, parliamentarians, NGOs, regional bodies, and the United Nations to establish and maintain effective torture prevention mechanisms. The End Torture leads the campaign to ratify and implement the OPCAT which establishes the first global system of detention monitoring.

Strengthen capacities

The End Torture works with key national, regional, and international actors to strengthen their capacity to prevent torture. Specifically, the End Torture advises states on how to establish and maintain independent visiting bodies, trains national institutions and NGOs on monitoring places of detention, trains the police and judiciary on legal norms and safeguards against torture, and provides advice on legislative reforms to better prevent torture at the national level.

Produce practical tools

The End of Torture develops and disseminates practical tools to prevent torture. These include a guide on monitoring places of detention, a manual on the provisions of the OPCAT, a training DVD on the UN treaty bodies, a toolkit to develop national preventive mechanisms, and training course materials.