The World Organisation Against Torture (''Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture''; OMCT) is the world's largest coalition of

non-governmental organisations A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

fighting against arbitrary detention,

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts ...

summary may refer to: * Abstract (summary), shortening a passage or a write-up without changing its meaning but by using different words and sentences * Epitome, a summary or miniature form * Abridgement, the act of reducing a written work into a sho ...

and extrajudicial executions,

forced disappearance An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organi ...

s and other forms of

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

. With more than 200 affiliated organisations in its SOS-Torture Network, the OMCT aims at accompanying, reinforcing and protecting anti-torture organisations in particular in erosive environments and provides a comprehensive system of support and protection for human rights defenders around the world. The global network consists of local, national and regional organisations, which share the goal of eradicating torture and fostering respect of

human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

for all. The OMCT's ''Prevention of Torture'' programme helps its members prevent and report torture by strengthening their capacity through the SOS-Torture network to use

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

human rights mechanisms. The programme submits alternative reports to UN Committees in collaboration with local NGOs, provides support for individuals and organisations wishing to challenge torture practices in international legal fora and publishes a practical guide on international and regional conventional mechanisms relevant to torture. OMCT is also mainstreaming women's and children's issues into the UN human rights mechanisms. On 4 October 2007, former

United Nations Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary- ...

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

became the new president of the OMCT Supporting Foundation. Gerald Staberock has been Secretary General of the OMCT since 2011, and presently also serves as the Chair of the Board of the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism.

Activities

The OMCT contributes to UN activities through three main activities.

Reporting

The OMCT submits alternative reports to the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT), the

Human Rights Committee The United Nations Human Rights Committee is a treaty body composed of 18 experts, established by a 1966 human rights treaty, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The Committee meets for three four-week sessions per ...

(HRC) and the

Committee on the Rights of the Child The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a body of experts that monitor and report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee also monitors the Convention's three optional protoc ...

(CRC), working with local NGOs. Reporting activities are designed to encourage national NGOs to report torture and follow up reports of torture through: *the participation of local NGOs in drafting alternative reports and actively including them in relevant Committees' sessions, with the possibility of a follow-up meeting in the field; *an integrated approach to questions relating to protection from torture and other ill-treatment of women and children, by involving organisations specialised in these issues in drafting alternative reports and in relevant Committees' sessions; *greater dissemination of reports and of the Conclusions and Recommendations of the Committees in English and in the preferred language of the relevant country, through the publication of the reports that have been submitted.

Legal support

The OMCT supports individuals and organisations wishing to challenge torture practices in international legal forums. Complaint mechanisms can be used to achieve a number of different objectives including: *protection for victims or persons under threat; *obtaining

reparations Reparation(s) may refer to: Christianity * Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for reparation * Acts of reparation, prayers for repairing the damages of sin History *War reparations **World War I reparations, made from ...

and compensation for victims; *putting pressure on governments to end

impunity Impunity is avoidance of punishment, loss, or other negative consequences for an action. In the international law of human rights, impunity is failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a d ...

in specific cases; and *achieving changes in legislation and State practice which lead to serious human rights violations. Many NGOs are not fully aware of how to use UN procedures to support their work in protecting victims from torture. The OMCT hopes to encourage and assist partner NGOs that are already active in the struggle against torture to present individual complaints and other relevant information to the CAT, the HRC, and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Practical guidance

The OMCT publishes a practical guide on international and regional conventional mechanisms relevant to torture. This Handbook is conceived as a tool for action. It addresses the practical needs of anybody using international mechanisms and bodies to challenge torture practices.

References

External links