GENEVA – The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) announced plans to conduct three country visits to Burundi, Paraguay and Rwanda later this year, as it concluded its first session of 2026.
The Subcommittee has only been able to carry out three visits so far this year, namely to France, Mexico and Sri Lanka, less than half of its planned visit programme. This reflects the impact of the UN’s liquidity constraints, which have also delayed the Subcommittee’s session schedule and led to the cancellation of one of its sessions. The visits for 2027 will be announced at a later date.
“Even under severe resource constraints, we remain committed to delivering on our mandate to prevent torture,” said María Luisa Romero, Chair of the Subcommittee. “Through our visits and direct engagement with States and national preventive mechanisms, we help strengthen safeguards against torture and translate prevention into action.”
During its session, the Subcommittee adopted visit reports on Mexico and New Zealand, which will soon be transmitted to the States together with a request to make them public.
The SPT continued to develop its advice to National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) on social reintegration, as well as its approach to the issue of children in detention and on the independence of National Preventive Mechanisms.
The Subcommittee further advanced preparations for the commemorative plans marking the 20th anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) and the operationalisation of the SPT, and 25 years since the adoption of the OPCAT.
“Over these two decades, constructive dialogue, cooperation and independent monitoring have demonstrated their value as powerful tools for preventing torture and ill-treatment. These anniversaries are not only an opportunity to reflect on progress made, but also to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening prevention in the face of emerging challenges,” Romero said.
“We call on NPMs, States, and other stakeholders to join in this period of reflection and dialogue around a central theme: preventing torture through constructive dialogue.”
Under OPCAT, the SPT monitors the treatment and conditions of people deprived of liberty through unannounced visits to police stations, prisons, psychiatric hospitals, immigration detention centres, and other custodial settings. The Subcommittee also works with NPMs, as well as human rights institutions, government authorities, and civil society, to strengthen measures that prevent torture and ill-treatment.
