weeks earlier. Further, the event took place on the day on which Finland deposited its ratifcation instrument to OPCAT. Jari Pirjola, CPT member in respect of Finland, chaired the conference and opened the event by introducing the concept of “prevention”. The keynote speech on the CPT, looking at success stories and future challenges, was given by Hugh Chetwynd from the CPT’s Secretariat. The other main speakers included Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Afairs, Kimmo Sasi, Member of Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Finnish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Petri Jääskeläinen, Ombudsman of Finland. Presentations by Ulla Mohell, CPT liaison ofcer, and Veronica Pimenof (psychiatrist and CPT expert) provided details concerning the work of the CPT in the feld. The event was attended by some 70 participants, including senior ofcials from various ministries (mainly responsible for detention/prison-related issues), police ofcials, prison directors, directors of social institutions, regional authorities, NGOs, and lawyers (representing asylum seekers). 37. On 16 October 2014, the conference “Nothing justifes torture” took place at the University of Warsaw (Poland). In addition to marking the 25th anniversary of the CPT, it also highlighted the 20th anniversary of the ratifcation by Poland of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture. The conference was jointly organised by the Ministry of Justice of Poland, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Council of Europe Acquis Unit and Human Rights Department of the Faculty of Law and Administration of Warsaw University, the Council of Europe Ofce in Warsaw and the CPT. Speakers included Cezary Grabarczyk, Minister of Justice of Poland, Lәtif Hüseynov, President of the CPT, Natalia Sevostianova, Government Plenipotentiary for the European Court of Human Rights and Danuta Przywara, President of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. The event was attended by some 120 participants (representatives of government administration, judges, prosecutors, police ofcers, prison service staf, representatives of NGOs, and professors and students of the law faculty). Some guests from Ukraine also attended the conference. The aim of the conference was to present achievements in the feld of prevention of torture and ill-treatment, as well as challenges involved in the implementation of CPT recommendations. Marzena Ksel, CPT member in respect of Poland and 1st Vice-President, chaired a session on the role of the CPT in shaping standards in places of detention. Concrete examples were discussed, such as the minimum standard of living space in Polish prisons. The conference conclusions were drawn by Adam Bodnar, Vice-President of the Helsinki Foundation, and Borys Wódz from the CPT’s Secretariat. 38. On 28 October 2014, a conference on “the efects of international monitoring mechanisms to prevent torture and illtreatment of persons deprived of their liberty” took place in Oslo (Norway). It was organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Afairs, the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the CPT. The conference was opened by Bård Glad Pedersen, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Afairs. The morning session presented an overview of the various international monitoring mechanisms (CPT, SPT, other UN bodies). International speakers included Manfred Activities during the period 1 August 2013 to 31 December 2014 ► Page 17