Why this guide?
The Committee was created with the main
objective of promoting national implementation of the Convention against Torture and
Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) in order to
ensure increased protection for individuals
and groups against torture and ill-treatment at the national level. To achieve this
objective, it is essential that the intended
beneficiaries, individuals on the ground,
have effective access to the Committee to
inform it about the situation in their country and advise on what concrete initiatives
should be taken to improve that situation.
However, the Committee meets in Geneva
far away from many of the countries it reviews and even further removed from the
individuals it is tasked with protecting.
Furthermore, its working methods and
practices have developed over the years
into a fairly complicated process, which
can be difficult to understand and engage
with for persons who do not have a regular
interaction.
The objective of this practical guide is to
explain, in a simple and concise format,
how the Committee operates and how
non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
can engage with its State review process,
which is the main process by which the
Committee monitors compliance with the
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Convention. The Committee also implements other mandates, such as deciding
on individual complaints and drafting
General Comments, but these will not be
covered by this guide.
The guide contains background information on the working methodologies of the
Committee as well as practical guidance
on how to best influence the process at
the different stages of the State review.
It starts by explaining the State reporting
cycle and providing an outline of the different stakeholders. This is followed by
an overview of how NGOs can best ensure
that their priority issues are adequately
considered at each stage of the process.
Finally, the guide provides some practical
guidance and strategic reflections for NGO
engagement in the State review on issues
such as drafting alternative reports, working in coalitions and how the process can
be linked with other international human
rights monitoring mechanisms.
The guide focuses on engagement with the
Committee against Torture, but many of the
observations made herein are generally
applicable to other treaty bodies. It is important to note that working methods and
procedures change regularly, so it is always
a good idea to check up on these before
starting to engage in a State review.
Engaging with State reviews in the UN Committee against Torture: A practical guide