OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE (OPCAT)
SUBCOMMITTEE ON PREVENTION OF TORTURE

Elections of members to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

The eighth meeting of the States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) will be convened by the Secretary-General at the United Nations Office at Geneva on Thursday 22 October 2020, 10 AM, conference room XVIII, at Palais des Nations. The purpose of the meeting is to elect twelve members of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), to replace those whose terms of office will expire on 31 December 2020.

The election of candidates for membership in the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture shall take place in accordance with articles 5 through 9 of the OPCAT. In addition, the Secretary-General would like to draw attention to the General Assembly resolution A/68/268 adopted on 9 April 2014, entitled “Strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system” and its provisions 10 and 13 on the nomination and election of treaty body experts.

Other relevant information on the election.

The current membership of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture is:

Nominations

In accordance with articles 6 and 7 of the OPCAT, the Secretary-General, in a Note verbale dated 18 May 2020 (E | F | S), invited the States parties to submit their nominations of candidates for the election of members to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture within three months, i.e. by 18 August 2020. 

Nominations and biographical data should be submitted, using a specific standard format (E | F | S), by a Note verbale of the Permanent Mission to the Secretary-General, c/o. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva.

The electronic Word version should be sent to registry@ohchr.org, copied to opcat@ohchr.org, by 18 August 2020, at the latest.

The biographical data of nominated candidates should not exceed 38 lines.

The current list of candidates, in alphabetical order, nominated by States Parties, is:

The list of candidates, in alphabetical order, nominated by States Parties after 18 August is:

Documents:

In accordance with Rule 16 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Meetings of the States Parties to the OPCAT, the official working languages of the meeting shall be English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Restrictions for the meeting

In accordance with articles 5 to 9 of the OPCAT, the Secretary-General, in a Note verbale dated 3 September 2020 (English | French | Spanish), invited the States parties to the Optional Protocol to the 8th Meeting of the States Parties, scheduled to be held in-person, at the United Nations Office at Geneva, on Thursday 22 October 2020, at 10:00 a.m., Palais des Nations, Room XVIII.

Due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, 1) only one representative per State Party to the Optional Protocol will be admitted at the meeting and 2) credentials will have to be provided to the secretariat in advance of the meeting as they will not be accepted on the day of the meeting.

Results of the Eighth Meeting States parties to the OPCAT

Results of the Eighth Meeting States parties to the OPCAT that took place on 22 October 2020 to elect the 12 members of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture whose mandate will expire on 31 December 2020
List of the 12 candidates, in alphabetical order, elected to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, for a term of four years, as of 1 January 2021, as provided for under article 9 of the Optional Protocol:

* Current members
** Former members