Publication

The Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) establishes a system of visits to places of detention by independent experts with the aim of preventing torture. The implementation of this system relies on National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) in each state. This paper focuses on issues that commonly arise when a national human rights commission or Ombudsperson’s office is considered as a possible National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). It aims to prompt decision-makers to reconsider the appropriateness of designating existing general-purpose institutions as NPMs.