EU Guidelines on Torture The EU released its first Guidelines on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in 2001. This document, while not legally binding, provides a guide to EU and member state bodies on how best to influence third countries to take effective measures to prevent and eradicate torture and ill-treatment3. The Guidelines require EU delegations to report to Brussels on possible patterns of torture and the occurrence of torture and ill-treatment in a country, thus assisting the EU in determining the appropriate action to combat its prevalence. The document refers to the holistic rehabilitation of torture victims as an objective of the work of the EU. In very cautious wording, the Guidelines also introduce the possibility of invoking human rights clauses against, and revoking funding from, countries continuously violating the right to freedom from torture. • Members should read the guidelines and ask their local EU delegation and member state embassies about what they are doing to put them into practice. • Members should highlight that the holistic rehabilitation of torture victims is a specific objective of the EU in their meetings with local EU delegations and all other EU representatives. Meetings and conferences in Brussels The EU and its related bodies organise a number of conferences, meetings and events in Brussels that may be relevant for IRCT members. Some of these occur annually, others are organised ad hoc. Participation costs are usually covered by the EU. Some of the regular meetings include: • EU-NGO Forum on Human Rights (annually around 10 December) • European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) Forum for beneficiaries of EIDHR funding • European Development Days (annually in the fall) • The IRCT Brussels office may contact members to invite them to participate in conferences or seminars taking place in Brussels. • Members travelling to Brussels will receive training on EU advocacy and will be expected to participate in advocacy meetings alongside the IRCT with the EEAS, the European Parliament, EU member states representatives and partner NGOs. Regional engagement The EU organises civil society fora and seminars at country or regional levels to discuss, among other issues, human rights concerns. The goal of these meetings is to encourage cooperation between EU-based 3. The most up-to-date and revised Guidelines can be accessed here: http://eeas.europa.eu/human_rights/guidelines/torture/ docs/20120626_guidelines_en.pdf 10 Engaging with European Union foreign policy on the ground – an IRCT guide