only 8.2 million USD (approximately 6 million EUR) in 2012), and its donor base has shrunk from 38 to 22 donors. The support of states is vital to fuel the fund, and she underlined the importance of advocating to governments of the importance of maintaining their contributions. Dr Mechthild Wenk-Ansohn (Berlin Center for the Treatment of Torture Victims, Germany) spoke about the importance of the General Comment as an invitation to bring in the knowledge of specialist rehabilitation centres in defining the right to rehabilitation framework. She identified the need to enhance mechanisms so that access to treatment is guaranteed for all. In addition, raising awareness and ensuring improved methods for recognising victims of torture through screening are essential to ensuring accessibility. Linked to this is the need to train professionals in primary healthcare system to recognise the signs and symptoms of torture. One issue that was raised in the parallel workshops was how to encourage more medical professionals to specialise in this area of work. Dr Wenk-Ansohn highlighted the importance of offering training on forensic documentation of torture and other related issues, in combination with training on general violence so as to attract more interest from medical and health professionals. Rehabilitation centres should be at the forefront of sharing this knowledge and expertise and promoting training in this area of work. In terms of providing appropriate treatment, Dr Wenk-Ansohn highlighted the need to take a multidisciplinary approach and to offer a combination of support services involving psychological, social and family interventions, as well as access to education and help with employment. Specialised services should be linked to the public health system to encourage sharing of knowledge and increased cooperation. In terms of funding, she recognised the current challenges faced by rehabilitation centres, particularly with the decrease in European Union funding, but also the difficulties of encouraging states where torture is practiced to fund rehabilitation. In terms of tools “” “” The conference provided us with the tools, arguments and rationale that we can use in our own countries to promote rehabilitation of torture survivors. 22 International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims Karen Hanscom, Advocates for Survivors of Torture and Trauma, USA to use, she highlighted the reporting mechanism, particularly to the Committee, and gave the example of the Parallel Report produced by bzfo and other civil society organisations on the treatment of detained persons awaiting deportation in Germany. In addition, she highlighted the significance of lobbying at the national and international levels and the importance of cooperation, for example through coalitions to achieve more weight and coordinate at a strategic level. Finally, Dr Nimisha Patel summed up the challenges faced in implementing the right to rehabilitation from the clinical perspective. She emphasised the need to implement ethical interventions in which survivors are involved in the process and that provide a common conceptual understanding of rehabilitation. In terms of rehabilitation as a form of reparation for a wrong committed she highlighted the clinical ethical imperative to provide a humanitarian response (as an addition to the legal obligation). Working towards implementation, service providers need to be able to define their working models and justify these in terms of the local context and needs. The designing and delivery of services is a continuous process of evaluation and review, with the need to question and adapt. The planning and development of a workforce is an essential element of this process, thus a need to identify the necessary skills and training to meet the required standards. The training needs to maintain a specialised and effective workforce and the cost of delivery of services need to be reviewed in relation to financing, in particular given the current challenges with reduced funding from sources such as the UNVFVT. In relation to accountability, Dr Patel encouraged the movement to see the General Comment and other legal instruments as tools that can be used to hold states accountable through reporting mechanisms and shadow reports. Related to this is the importance of data collection that can demonstrate why rehabilitation is needed and how it works. She pointed out that our greatest accountability is to the victims themselves and in meeting our commitment to torture survivors, the ability to work and collaborate across all disciplines is vital. “” It was a meeting where it was possible to exchange opinions with other centres, both in the same region and from remote areas. That has enriched us, to observe other forms of work. It is a continuous learning. Juana Luisa Lloret, Centro de Atención Psicosocial, Peru