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Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
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State Part
[
Global Index
]
PREAMBLE
[
go to this PREAMBLE
]
... Recalling that
articles
2 and 16 of the
Convention
oblige each
State Party
to take effective
measures
to
prevent
acts
of
torture
and other
cruel
,
inhuman
or
degrading treatment
or
punishment
in any
territory
under its
jurisdiction
, ...
ARTICLE-3
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... Each
State Party
shall set up,
designate
or maintain at the
domestic
level one or several
visiting
bodies
for the
prevention
of
torture
and other
cruel
,
inhuman
or
degrading treatment
or
punishment
(hereinafter referred to as the
national preventive mechanism
). ...
ARTICLE-4
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. Each
State Party
shall allow
visits
, in
accordance
with the present
Protocol
, by the
mechanisms
referred to in
articles
2
and
3
to any
place
under its
jurisdiction
and
control
where
persons
are or may be
deprived
of their
liberty
, either by
virtue
of an
order
given by a
public authority
or at its instigation or with its
consent
or
acquiescence
(hereinafter referred to as
places
of
detention
). These
visits
shall be undertaken with a
view
to strengthening, if necessary, the
protection
of these
persons
against
torture
and other
cruel
,
inhuman
or
degrading treatment
or
punishment
. ...
ARTICLE-6
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. Each
State Party
may
nominate
, in
accordance
with paragraph 2 of the present
article
, up to two
candidates
possessing
the
qualifications
and
meeting
the
requirements
set out in
article
5
, and in doing so shall provide detailed
information
on the
qualifications
of the
nominees
. ...
... (a) The
nominees
shall have the
nationality
of a
State Party
to the present
Protocol
; ...
... (b) At least one of the two
candidates
shall have the
nationality
of the nominating
State Party
; ...
... (c) No more than two
nationals
of a
State Party
shall be nominated; ...
... (d) Before a
State Party
nominates
a
national
of another
State Party
, it shall
seek
and obtain the
consent
of that
State Party
. ...
... (d) Before a
State Party
nominates
a
national
of another
State Party
, it shall
seek
and obtain the
consent
of that
State Party
. ...
... (d) Before a
State Party
nominates
a
national
of another
State Party
, it shall
seek
and obtain the
consent
of that
State Party
. ...
ARTICLE-7
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 2. If during the
election
process two
nationals
of a
State Party
have become
eligible
to serve as
members
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
, the
candidate
receiving
the higher
number of votes
shall serve as the
member
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
. Where
nationals
have
received
the same
number of votes
, the following
procedure
applies: ...
... (a) Where only one has been nominated by the
State Party
of which he or she is a
national
, that
national
shall serve as the
member
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
; ...
... (b) Where both
candidates
have been nominated by the
State Party
of which they are
nationals
, a separate
vote
by
secret ballot
shall be held to determine which
national
shall become the
member
; ...
... (c) Where neither
candidate
has been nominated by the
State Party
of which he or she is a
national
, a separate
vote
by
secret ballot
shall be held to determine which
candidate
shall be the
member
. ...
ARTICLE-8
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... If a
member
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
dies
or
resigns
, or for any cause can no longer perform his or her
duties
, the
State Party
that nominated the
member
shall
nominate
another
eligible
person
possessing
the
qualifications
and
meeting
the
requirements
set out in
article
5
, taking into
account
the need for a proper
balance
among the various
fields
of
competence
, to serve until the next
meeting
of the
States Parties
,
subject
to the
approval
of the
majority
of the
States Parties
. The
approval
shall be considered given unless half or more of the
States Parties
respond negatively within six
weeks
after having been informed by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations
of the proposed
appointment
. ...
ARTICLE-13
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 3. The
visits
shall be
conducted
by at least two
members
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
. These
members
may be accompanied, if needed, by
experts
of demonstrated
professional
experience
and
knowledge
in the
fields
covered by the present
Protocol
who shall be selected from a roster of
experts
prepared on the basis of
proposals
made by the
States Parties
, the
Office
of the
United Nations
High Commissioner
for
Human Rights
and the
United Nations
Centre for
International
Crime
Prevention
. In preparing the roster, the
States Parties
concerned
shall
propose
no more than five
national
experts
. The
State Party
concerned
may
oppose
the inclusion of a
specific
expert
in the
visit
, whereupon the
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall
propose
another
expert
. ...
ARTICLE-14
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 2.
Objection
to a
visit
to a particular
place
of
detention
may be made only on
urgent
and compelling grounds of
national defence
,
public safety
,
natural disaster
or
serious
disorder in the
place
to be
visited
that temporarily
prevent
the carrying out of such a
visit
. The existence of a
declared
state
of
emergency
as such shall not be invoked by a
State Party
as a
reason
to
object
to a
visit
. ...
ARTICLE-16
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. The
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall
communicate
its
recommendations
and
observations
confidentially to the
State Party
and, if
relevant
, to the
national preventive mechanism
. ...
... 2. The
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall
publish
its
report
, together with any comments of the
State Party
concerned
, whenever requested to do so by that
State Party
. If the
State Party
makes part of the
report
public
, the
Subcommittee on Prevention
may
publish
the
report
in whole or in part. However, no
personal data
shall be
published
without the express
consent
of the
person
concerned
. ...
... 2. The
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall
publish
its
report
, together with any comments of the
State Party
concerned
, whenever requested to do so by that
State Party
. If the
State Party
makes part of the
report
public
, the
Subcommittee on Prevention
may
publish
the
report
in whole or in part. However, no
personal data
shall be
published
without the express
consent
of the
person
concerned
. ...
... 2. The
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall
publish
its
report
, together with any comments of the
State Party
concerned
, whenever requested to do so by that
State Party
. If the
State Party
makes part of the
report
public
, the
Subcommittee on Prevention
may
publish
the
report
in whole or in part. However, no
personal data
shall be
published
without the express
consent
of the
person
concerned
. ...
... 4. If the
State Party
refuses to
cooperate
with the
Subcommittee on Prevention
according to
articles
12
and
14
, or to take
steps
to
improve
the
situation
in the
light
of the
recommendations
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
, the
Committee against Torture
may, at the
request
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
,
decide
, by a
majority
of its
members
, after the
State Party
has had an
opportunity
to make its
views
known, to make a
public statement
on the matter or to
publish
the
report
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
. ...
... 4. If the
State Party
refuses to
cooperate
with the
Subcommittee on Prevention
according to
articles
12
and
14
, or to take
steps
to
improve
the
situation
in the
light
of the
recommendations
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
, the
Committee against Torture
may, at the
request
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
,
decide
, by a
majority
of its
members
, after the
State Party
has had an
opportunity
to make its
views
known, to make a
public statement
on the matter or to
publish
the
report
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
. ...
ARTICLE-17
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... Each
State Party
shall maintain,
designate
or
establish
, at the latest one
year
after the
entry into force
of the present
Protocol
or of its
ratification
or
accession
, one or several
independent
national preventive mechanisms
for the
prevention
of
torture
at the
domestic
level.
Mechanisms
established
by decentralized
units
may be
designated
as
national preventive mechanisms
for the
purposes
of the present
Protocol
if they are in
conformity
with its
provisions
. ...
ARTICLE-22
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... The
competent authorities
of the
State Party
concerned
shall examine the
recommendations
of the
national preventive mechanism
and enter into a
dialogue
with it on possible
implementation
measures
. ...
ARTICLE-24
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 2. This postponement shall be
valid
for a
maximum
of three
years
. After
due
representations
made by the
State Party
and after
consultation
with the Subcommittee on Pre vention, the
Committee against Torture
may
extend
that
period
for an additional two
years
. ...
ARTICLE-26
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. A
Special Fund
shall be set up in
accordance
with the
relevant
procedures
of the
General Assembly
, to be administered in
accordance
with the
financial
regulations
and
rules
of the
United Nations
, to
help
finance
the
implementation
of the
recommendations
made by the
Subcommittee on Prevention
after a
visit
to a
State Party
, as well as
education
programmes
of the
national preventive mechanisms
. ...
ARTICLE-32
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... The
provisions
of the present
Protocol
shall not
affect
the
obligations
of
States Parties
to the four
Geneva Conventions
of 12 August 1949 and the Additional
Protocols
thereto of 8 June 1977, nor the
opportunity
available to any
State Party
to
authorize
the
International Committee of the Red Cross
to
visit
places
of
detention
in
situations
not covered by
international
humanitarian law
. ...
ARTICLE-33
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. Any
State Party
may
denounce
the present
Protocol
at any
time
by
written notification
addressed to the
Secretary-General of the United Nations
, who shall thereafter inform the other
States Parties
to the present
Protocol
and the
Convention
.
Denunciation
shall take
effect
one
year
after the
date of receipt
of the
notification
by the
Secretary-General
. ...
... 2. Such a
denunciation
shall not have the
effect
of releasing the St ate
Party
from its
obligations
under the present
Protocol
in
regard
to any
act
or
situation
that may occur
prior
to the
date
on which the
denunciation
becomes effective, or to the
actions
that the
Subcommittee on Prevention
has
decided
or may
decide
to take with
respect
to the
State Party
concerned
, nor shall
denunciation
prejudice
in any way the continued
consideration
of any matter already under
consideration
by the
Subcommittee on Prevention
prior
to the
date
on which the
denunciation
becomes effective. ...
... 3. Following the
date
on which the
denunciation
of the
State Party
becomes effective, the
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall not commence
consideration
of any new matter regarding that
State
. ...
ARTICLE-34
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... 1. Any
State Party
to the present
Protocol
may
propose
an
amendment
and file it with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations
. The
Secretary-General
shall thereupon
communicate
the proposed
amendment
to the
States Parties
to the present
Protocol
with a
request
that they notify him whether they favour a
conference
of
States Parties
for the
purpose
of considering and
voting
upon the
proposal
. In the
event
that within four
months
from the
date
of such
communication
at least one third of the
States Parties
favour such a
conference
, the
Secretary-General
shall
convene
the
conference
under the auspices of the
United Nations
. Any
amendment
adopted
by a
majority
of two thirds of the
States Parties
present and
voting
at the
conference
shall be submitted by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations
to all
States Parties
for
acceptance
. ...
ARTICLE-36
[
go to this ARTICLE
]
... When
visiting
a
State Party
, the
members
of the
Subcommittee on Prevention
shall, without
prejudice
to the
provisions
and
purposes
of the present
Protocol
and such
privileges
and
immunities
as they may enjoy: ...
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