Home
Preventing Torture
Edited by
NPM OBS
(The Independent Observatory
of National Preventive Mechanisms Against Torture)
“Preventing Torture” is a platform for critical, constructive observation of the work on torture prevention worldwide.
The aim is to give additional impetus to torture prevention. The purpose is to improve it.
“Preventing Torture” is for debate and ideas, not merely an information outlet.
The site features both documents produced by NPM Obs and external contributions. As a rule, anybody can contribute.
“Preventing Torture” also offers a Who’s Who section, where the biographies of readers and contributors can be found.
NPMs can post all their annual, thematic and other reports in the section NPM Reports.
For the lay-out of this site, we aim at conciseness and sobriety.
To cover the costs of NPM Obs for setting up, maintaining and nurturing this site, access to “Preventing Torture” is subject to an annual subscription fee on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Twenty years after the OPCAT entered into force, what has changed in the prevention of torture and other ill-treatment? What remains to be achieved?
This Liber amicorum brings together forty-one contributors in honour of Silvia Casale and Marco Mona. It connects the experience of people who have helped shape preventive monitoring with a critical examination of its achievements, limitations and future.
Ten salient questions structure the volume. They explore mandates and powers, independence and effectiveness, institutional models, cooperation, training, the scope of monitoring, resources and the challenges ahead.
Analytical syntheses are followed by the contributors’ full texts, allowing readers to move between a shared assessment and the distinct voices, national experiences and perspectives on which it rests.
This book is an invitation to reflect on how independent scrutiny, dialogue and sustained follow-up can turn preventive commitments into practical protection for people deprived of their liberty.