UN body on Prevention of Torture visits Senegal to see progress

During its visit, the delegation will meet with representatives of government authorities, the Parliament, the public prosecution, and civil society.

The United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture is visiting Senegal from 5 to 16 May 2019 to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations it made during its first visit in 2012.

Senegal ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2006 and set up a National Preventive Mechanism, the National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (NOPDL) in 2009, which has been operating since 2011.

"We are going to Senegal to follow up on the recommendations we made during our visit in 2012. Our objective is to see what progress has been made toward implementation of the recommendations we gave Senegal, and also the recommendations we gave the National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty, which was set out in our two reports,” said Gnambi Garba Kodjo, the head of the six-member delegation.

During its visit, the delegation will meet with representatives of government authorities, the Parliament, the public prosecution, and civil society. It will visit prisons, police stations and other places of deprivation of liberty. It will also meet with the National Observer of Places of Deprivation of Liberty and will conduct joint visits with the Observer.

"The national prevention mechanisms are key tools in the strategy to fight against torture and ill-treatment in the world," emphasized Mr Kodjo, adding that the delegation looked forward to working with the National Observer.

At the end of the visit, the delegation will present its preliminary and confidential observations to the government, as well as to the national mechanism for the prevention of torture.

The delegation includes the following members: Mr Gnambi Garba KODJO, Head of Delegation (Togo), Ms Patricia ARIAS (Chile), Ms Carmen COMAS-MATA MIRA (Spain), Mr Abdallah OUNNIR (Morocco), Ms Catherine PAULET (France), and Mr Haimoud RAMDAN (Mauritania).

(With Inputs from APO)