Introduction document and report symptoms of physical and psychological torture. The ‘Model Curriculum on the Effective Medical Documentation of Torture and Ill Treatment’ is a comprehensive Istanbul Protocol training resource that was developed to enable health professionals to effectively investigate and document torture and ill-treatment (see http:// istanbulprotocolmodelcurriculum.org). and some basic recommendations for the medical examination. Some sections may also be useful for examinations into extralegal, arbitrary and summary executions. However, the perspective and purpose of an examination in these instances is different and require that primarily the Minnesota Protocol6 is taken into consideration. The present manual is designed to provide practical information for agencies and individuals involved in planning and carrying out medical examination missions. It is based on lessons learned from past medical examination missions and on the challenges met during those missions. The manual is meant as a tool to be used in conjunction with the Istanbul Protocol. It does not replace the Istanbul Protocol, nor does it seek to replace the many other existing manuals and guidelines available on the medical examination and documentation of torture3, on the reporting on torture4, on human rights monitoring and on visiting places of detention5. It does not provide detailed information on how to carry out an examination or how to prepare a report. a. Terminology It is an operational tool to facilitate the preparation and operational aspects of a mission for the examination and documentation of alleged torture, particularly relating to the survivors of torture. It includes suggestions on the team composition and obligations of team members and the contracting organization, ethical codes, practical information related to the preparation for the mission, security and safety measures, 10 In recent years the term ‘torture victim’ is increasingly being replaced by the term ‘torture survivor’. The word ‘survivor’, is especially important when the focus is on resilience and psychosocial well-being. However, as one of the purposes of this manual is to facilitate the investigation and documentation of alleged cases of torture for legal purposes, the word ‘victim’ will be used, as this is the standard legal term. It will be used interchangeably with the term ‘examinee’ when referring to the actual examination. The word ‘patient’ is used when related to medical matters such as informed consent. b. Purpose of the manual The purpose of this manual is to provide easily accessible and practical guidance for performing a medical examination mission to any country. c. Who is this manual for This manual is intended mainly for the health professionals participating in a medical examination mission. However,