The main objective of the meeting was the adoption of a set of recommendations to submit to Assembly of OSCE countries on ways of preventing torture and ill-treatment in police activity. The agenda comprised, in addition to the presentation of the APT and the methodology of work, three major themes: (1) the application of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and the role of the NPM; (2) the police role in preventing torture and (3) the protection afforded to vulnerable persons detained. The discussion on the implementation of the OPCAT and the role of the NPM aimed, in short, to find answers to three different questions: what measures should be taken to implement the recommendations of the NPM? What measures should be taken by countries to ensure the performance of the NPM? What measures should be taken to ensure the external support required by the NPM?» With regard to police action and the prevention of torture, the impact of training actions on police activities was debated, in particular the conditions deemed necessary to ensure the correction of the police action and the necessary measures to ensure that excessive force is not used in demonstrations. In the field of protection that must be granted to detainees belonging to groups in a situation of special vulnerability, such as women, children, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual), migrants and people with disabilities the issue of sensitization of authorities on the following themes was addressed: (1) the specific needs of those groups; (2) measures of protection of those groups by public institutions and (3) the inclusion of the concept of vulnerability in the training actions of police offciers, prison guards, staff of psychiatric institutions and staff of homes for children and young people. Working groups have been established, following a joint meeting which endorsed proposals for the final statement recommendations. At the conclusion of the meeting recommendations were made to OSCE participating countries, highlighting that the Member States should: 1. Ratify the OPCAT and establish a NPM, in accordance with the OPCAT requirements. All NPMs should have their mandate, powers and independence enshrined in national law. 2. Ensure full on-going government cooperation and dialogue with NPMs and the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to achieve progressive improvements in detention policy and practice and the NPMs’ ability to carry out their preventive mandate. 3. Ensure unimpeded and immediate access to all places of detention, including those outside of their territorial jurisdiction but under their effective control, where people are or may be deprived of their liberty, whether managed by public or private institutions. Information on NPMs’ members and their mandate should be made available to all detaining authorities. 32 |