Seminar on the Convention against Torture Held at the National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights  Ashgabat, 11 May 2009 – A seminar on the Convention against Torture, its Optional Protocol and State monitoring obligations was held today at the National Institute of Democracy and Human Rights (NIDHR) within the framework of the UNDP-led project “Building of reporting capacities in Turkmenistan.” The seminar brought together members of the Interdepartmental Commission on monitoring the implementation of international human rights commitments, including representatives of the law enforcement agencies and national experts from the NIDHR.
Participants learned about State obligation to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and looked at adequate legislative and practical measures. The seminar also covered the mandate of the Committee against Torture, the organ that monitors the implementation of the Convention and provided an overview on the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture as well as the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on torture. Given that the Government has to submit its initial report on the implementation of this Convention in 2009, participants emphasized that this seminar was extremely important in familiarizing relevant officials with necessary information and methodologies for preparing the initial report under the Convention against Torture. To further facilitate the dialogue on these issues, seminar participants were provided with UN documentation on the Convention and its Optional Protocol, international standards on prevention of torture and OHCHR reporting and monitoring guidelines. Examples and good reporting practices from other countries were also provided. Turkmenistan acceded to the Convention against Torture, and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment in 1999. The Government of Turkmenistan aims to submit the initial report to the Committee against Torture by the end of this year. * * * “Building of Reporting Capacities in Turkmenistan” project aims to support and strengthen the capacity of the Government of Turkmenistan to fulfil its obligations under the human rights treaty bodies which it has acceded to, in particular, the periodic development of state reports to the UN human rights treaty bodies and implementation of recommendations made by these treaty bodies in legislation and practice in Turkmenistan. |
