The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: developing an action plan to improve capacity and knowledge In its third periodic report to the UN Committee against Torture, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia reported that in 2011 it carried out an evaluation of the knowledge of staff working in prisons in line with its obligations under Article 11 of UNCAT. Based on the findings of this evaluation an action plan was subsequently developed to provide ongoing training of staff at prisons and educational and correctional institutions. Viet Nam: raising awareness and building capacity after ratifying UNCAT Upon ratifying UNCAT in 2015 Viet Nam started a process of developing a national action plan for the implementation of the Convention with the support of other States. Part of this strategy includes raising awareness of the provisions of UNCAT among officials through a series of training workshops. In particular training has been provided on the use of investigative interviewing techniques for law enforcement officials. PERIODICALLY REVIEWING PROGRESS  Periodically reviewing progress against the implementation benchmarks of an anti-torture strategy will provide an opportunity to highlight achievements made to date and ensure the strategy remains relevant to the current national context. A process of periodic review will enable resources and efforts to be realigned and the focus and/ or timeline to be adjusted as progress is made to ensure the strategy remains pertinent and effective. A review can also critically evaluate and build upon lessons learnt from previous actions. Malawi: applying lessons learnt from previous action plans In the preparation of its draft National Human Rights Action Plan (2016-2020), the government of Malawi undertook a process to review and evaluate the implementation of the previous action plan. The aim of the review was to apply lessons learnt to strengthen both the content of the new action plan and the consultative process leading to its adoption. This evaluation included reviewing recommendations from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to strengthen the implementation of UNCAT. The evaluation and consultation was led by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the Malawi Human Rights Commission. Sweden: keeping a plan responsive and up-to-date The Swedish Government has developed an action plan for the period 2016 to 2018 aimed at protecting children from human trafficking, exploitation, and all forms of violence and torture. This plan is part of a broader strategy to implement the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. This action plan updates and builds upon previous strategies while progress on implementation is continuously monitored by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs in order to ensure that the plan remains relevant and responsive to developments on this issue. TOOL: State strategies to prevent and respond to torture and other ill-treatment or punishment 7/8