Background
The second regional meeting of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) and civil society
organizations (CSOs) from the OSCE region was jointly organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic
Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), with
the support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and the Consolato Generale
di Svizzera, in Milano.
The regional meeting aimed at providing a platform for exchange and contributing to the mutual
knowledge and understanding between NPMs and CSOs on their complementary contributions to
the protection of persons deprived of their liberty in the OSCE region in the context of immigration
detention. Following the methodology of the first edition of the ODIHR/APT regional meeting for
NPMs, the event aimed at a) addressing challenges and identifying good practices in the interactions
and co-operation between NPMs and CSOs in the OSCE region, for the ultimate benefit of all
individuals deprived of their liberty in the context of immigration detention; and b) strengthening
regional cohesion and joint advocacy efforts for the rights of people in immigration detention and
other situations of deprivation of liberty.
With the establishment of a Torture Prevention Focal Point in October 2015, ODIHR reinforced its
efforts to promote the prevention of torture in the OSCE region and to assist OSCE participating
States in implementing their commitment to ultimately eradicate torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment. The strengthening of the independent monitoring of all
places of detention has been identified as one of the priority areas of ODIHR’s anti-torture work.
ODIHR closely works with international and non-governmental organizations active in the field of
torture prevention, including the Civic Solidarity Platform representing over 90 non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) from the OSCE region, OSCE field operations, NPMs, UN agencies, the Council
of Europe and European Union institutions, research foundations and academia. The Association for
the Prevention of Torture (APT) is a Swiss non-governmental organization (NGO) working since 1977
to prevent torture and ill-treatment worldwide, for societies free of torture that protect the dignity
of persons deprived of liberty. The APT is at the origin of the 1987 European Convention for the
Prevention of Torture and the 2002 Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against torture.
4