Introduction This practical guide aims at providing torture rehabilitation centres and other NGOs involved in anti-torture activities with easily accessible and practical advice on how to most effectively engage with and contribute to country visits by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to promote relevant and high quality outcomes from the visit. The guide will provide a general introduction to the SPT and its mandate followed by a walk through of each of the four main phases of a country visit. This will include background information and recommendations on how to engage with the SPT in a way that maximises impact and limits the time and cost investment. The information and recommendations in this practical guide have been collected through questionnaires, interviews and more informal conversations with a wide range of stakeholders including SPT members, OHCHR staff members and national and international NGOs. The IRCT wishes to thank all the contributors for their valuable input to this guide. What is the SPT The SPT is a United Nations (UN) treaty body of 25 independent experts who are mandated to promote the prevention of torture through a global system of mechanisms to monitor places of deprivation of liberty (hereinafter referred to as places of detention). The rationale is that ongoing monitoring of places of detention will improve the general conditions of detention and discourage torture and ill-treatment of detainees and prisoners. The SPT implements its mandate through three different types of activities: undertaking direct visits to places of detention; advising and assisting in the establishment of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) responsible for ongoing detention monitoring at the national level1; and cooperating with other regional and international bodies to increase the protection of persons against torture and ill-treatment. The work of the SPT is led by a bureau consisting of a chairperson and four vice-chairpersons, who are responsible 1. To learn more about the role and establishment of NPMs see Establishment and Designation of National Preventive Mechanisms, APT, 2007 - http://apt.ch/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=117&Itemid=257&lang=en Working with the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture: A practical guide for NGOs engaging with SPT country visits 5