NETWORK OF AFRICAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS ADOPTS A DECLARATION AGAINST TORTURE

Chairmen of NANHRI member institutions met in Rabat on 7 and 8 September. They called for the strengthening of the role of African national human rights institutions in the prevention of torture.

During a high level conference in Rabat on the role of national institutions of human rights in the prevention of torture in Africa, the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions adopted a declaration to reiterate commitment to the implementation of the program entitled "A united continent against torture: strengthening the role of NHRIs in the prevention of torture". This declaration encourages States to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

The conference was initiated by the Moroccan National Human Rights Council, with the support of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Morocco, the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and the Moroccan Inter-ministerial Delegation for Human Rights.

The participating national human rights institutions advocated during this gathering for the development of national plans of action against torture and the adoption of comprehensive strategies in the area in collaboration with judiciary, executive, legislative and civil society stakeholders. They called for more interaction with regional and international human rights mechanisms and the domestication of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Such strategies, they said, should include the monitoring of places of detention, mainly in police custody, investigation of allegations of torture or any other ill-treatment, and the prosecution of perpetrators. Participants also voted for the adoption of suitable measures to support, rehabilitate and compensate the victims of torture.

The opening session of the conference was held on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, in Rabat. It was attended by several stakeholders and officials, including CNDH President and NANHRI Chairman Mr. Driss El Yazami, Inter-ministerial Delegate for Human Rights Mr. Mahjoub El Haiba, Head of APT Africa program Mr. Jean-Baptiste Niyizurugero, and Deputy Head of Mission at the UK Embassy in Morocco Mr. Alan GOGBASHIAN.

Mr. Driss EL Yazami praised the commitment of Morocco in the prevention of torture, particularly after the Council of Government approved to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Reiterating CNDH disposal to work in the area, he called for the creation of a national preventive mechanism against torture (NPM) which will prepare an annual report to be submitted to the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture.

He also highlighted the efforts made by the African states to prevent torture, including the accession to regional and international prevention instruments at the (OPCAT, Robben Island Guidelines for the Prohibition and Prevention of Torture in Africa, etc.). However, he said, torture is far from being eradicated, because of the low commitment of states, political instability in the region, the lack of independent and impartial judiciary, restrictions on civil society actions, lack of ambitious, national and integrated policies in the field of human rights education, etc.

Mr. El Yazami shed light, as well, on the role of national human rights institutions in the prevention of torture. In compliance with the Paris Principles, these institutions are required to work on the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, encourage their respective states to ratify international and regional conventions against torture and ensure implementation and domestication of their provisions, NANHRI chairman said.

For his part, Mr. Mahjoub El Haiba highlighted the efforts made by Morocco in terms of legislation to comply with its international commitments in the prevention of torture. He noted that Morocco undertook to submit regular reports on the implementation of the international Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. He indicated that the fourth periodic report of Morocco will be discussed in Geneva in November 2011.

APT representative Mr. Jean-Baptiste Niyizurugero hailed efforts made by CNDH to encourage the ratification of the OPCAT. He hoped to witness the ratification of this instrument by Morocco by November 2011, during which the fourth periodic report of Morocco will be discussed and the APT Global Forum on the OPCAT will be held (10 and 11 November 2011). "Two occasions Morocco can seize to announce its ratification and be a concrete example for other nations to follow," he said.

This conference was organized within the framework of a partnership agreement between the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions and the Association for the Prevention of Torture. It includes a three year plan of action (2011-2013) that aims to strengthen the role of African national human rights institutions in the Prevention of Torture in Africa.

It is to be noted that one day after the closing of the conference, Morocco announced its ratification of the OPCAT, after approval of the Council of Ministers on September 10, 2011, in Rabat. It also ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.