The Association for the Prevention of Torture
The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1977.
Its primary objective is to prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment throughout
the world. To achieve this the APT:
1. Promotes monitoring of places of detention and other control mechanisms that can
prevent torture and ill-treatment.
2. Encourages the adoption and respect of legal norms and standards that prohibit torture and combat impunity.
3. Strengthens the capacities of persons seeking to prevent torture, especially national
actors. This is done through training (e.g. of police, NGOs, national institutions,
judges, prosecutors etc) as well as providing practical guides and relevant legal advice in a variety of languages.
The APT operates as a source of ideas and expertise for a broad variety of partners in
torture prevention, ranging from Governments to NGOs, UN bodies, Regional bodies
(e.g. African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Inter-American Commission,
OSCE and Council of Europe), national human rights institutions, prison authorities and
police services.
The APT is the dynamo behind the drafting, adoption and implementation of: the
Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture; the European Convention for
the Prevention of Torture; the African Commission’s Robben Island Guidelines to prevent torture in Africa; as well as the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organization (SARPCCO) Code of Conduct for police officers.
The APT is a member of the Coalition of International NGOs Against Torture (CINAT). It
has consultative status with the UN, the Organisation of American States, the African
Commission and the Council of Europe. It is recognised by the Swiss authorities as a
non-profit association.
Address: P.O.Box 2267, CH 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: + 41 22 919 2170 Fax: + 41 22 919 2180
apt@apt.ch www.apt.ch
This publication would not have been possible without the generous support of our
donors. We would like to thank in particular those who support our work through core
contributions (The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands,
Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation),
as well as the donors who contributed to this project in particular: the City of Geneva,
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Oak Foundation and the Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE.
MINISTRY FOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
OF FINLAND
OAK
FOUNDATION
Ville de Genève