“He very calmly described how he was detained in solitary confinement, how they electrocuted him and burned him almost on a daily basis and how he tried not to give up the names of his friends – because then they would be next. He was slowly broken physically. He explained that he would maintain a sense of control over his existence by counting the days through the meals: porridge for breakfast, bread for lunch, beans and rice for dinner and then a cup of tea. And then one day: 3 times porridge, 2 times of tea, one bread, 2 times beans, then bread again, then tea, then beans. And gone was the last element of control. He didn’t say anything about what happened from then until he was finally released and fled to Denmark”. This story may give a sense of how powerless torture victims can feel and of how torture breaks a human apart. Rehabilitation has helped this survivor to rebuild his life, finish a PhD and write a book about his experiences of torture and subsequent rehabilitation. There are tens of thousands of survivors living in Denmark, but little attention is paid to them and, even if successful, their return to normal life is rarely deemed newsworthy. Today, it is still organizations like the IRCT, which is an association of 161 rehabilitation centres in 74 countries that bear most of the burden when it comes to providing services to victims. States should step up their efforts and make sure that they draw on the expertise of specialized civil society organizations. IRCT’s expertise has been built based on experiences from around the world over the period of more than 40 years. In this sense, the ODIHR/CTI Practical Tool provides the opportunity to take stock of some of the good practices that exist and to assist governments with further improving the quality, availability and accessibility of rehabilitation services for torture victims. It provides advice on where to find good legal policy frameworks, illustrates different implementation models that are currently being applied and it gives ideas on how to monitor the impact of the different models applied in different countries. “The rehabilitation of victims of torture requires a multi-disciplinary, participatory, and holistic approach that includes programmes of empowerment aimed at improving personal skills in order to strengthen positive social relationships. The rehabilitation of victims also means helping them to restore their lives and dignity.” Ambassador Alessandro Azzoni, 2018 Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council Discussion with OSCE participating States – Working Groups A. Working Group 1: Legislation, policy guidance and action plans Background – ODIHR/CTI Practical Tool The right to reparation is included in the constitutions of some states, while others have included provisions specifically on rehabilitation in comprehensive anti-torture laws, or as part of domestic criminal legislation. Once the legal basis is in place, the development of secondary legislation, policies, action plans, adequate budget allocations and specific approaches to individual victim groups can support effective implementation. 10