National Preventive Mechanisms
Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT) is the international instrument establishing the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and entrusting national bodies – the National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) – with a role in the implementation of the Convention, as monitoring bodies.
NPMs have the mandate to regularly visit places of deprivation of liberty in their country, such as police stations, prisons and other detention facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and any other places where persons are not permitted to leave at their own will. NPMs also have the mandate to make recommendations to national authorities to work with them on the prevention of torture and ill-treatment and on the improvement of conditions of living in places of deprivation of liberty, for which they have a key role.
NPMs are empowered to perform their mandate effectively considering that they are independent bodies to which States Parties guarantee their functional independence as well as the independence of their personnel, ensure that their experts have the required capabilities and professional knowledge and provide them with the necessary resources for their adequate functioning.
Alphabetical list of the 94 States parties to the OPCAT and their NPMs:
Country | Date of ratification/accession | National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) | Communication from State Parties regarding the designation of the NPM | |
1 | Afghanistan | 17.04.2018 | NO NPM | |
2 | Albania | 01.10.2003 | People's Advocate | Correspondence |
3 | Argentina | 15.11.2004 | Comité Nacional para la Prevención de la Tortura y Otros Tratos o Penas Crueles, Inhumanos o Degradantes | Correspondence |
4 | Armenia | 14.09.2006 | Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia | Correspondence |
5 | Australia | 21.12.2017 | NO NPM[1] | |
6 | Austria | 04.12.2012 | Austrian Ombudsman Board | Correspondence |
7 | Azerbaijan | 28.01.2009 | The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) | Correspondence |
8 | Belize | 04.09.2015 | NO NPM | |
9 | Benin | 20.09.2006 | NO NPM | |
10 | Bolivia | 23.05.2006 | Servicio para la Prevención de la Tortura – SEPRET | Correspondence Information contained in the confidential SPT visit report |
11 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 24.10.2008 | The Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina | Correspondence |
12 | Brazil | 12.01.2007 | Mecanismo Nacional de Prevenção e Combate à Tortura (MNPCT) | Correspondence |
13 | Bulgaria | 01.06.2011 | Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria | Correspondence |
14 | Burkina Faso | 07.07.2010 | Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme | Correspondence |
15 | Burundi | 18.10.2013 | NO NPM | |
16 | Cabo Verde | 01.04.2016 | Commission Nationale des Droits Humains et Citoyenneté | Correspondence 1 |
17 | Cambodia | 30.03.2007 | National Committee against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment | Correspondence |
18 | Central African Republic | 11.10.2016 | NO NPM | |
19 | Chile | 12.12.2008 | Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de Tortura | Correspondence |
20 | Congo | 26.04.2024 | NO NPM | |
21 | Costa Rica | 01.12.2005 | Defensoria de los Habitantes | Correspondence |
22 | Côte d’Ivoire | 01.03.2023 | NO NPM | |
23 | Croatia | 25.04.2005 | Ombudsperson | Correspondence |
24 | Cyprus | 29.04.2009 | Commissioner of Administration/Ombudsman | Correspondence |
25 | Czechia | 10.07.2006 | Public Defender of Rights | Correspondence and Annex I |
26 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 23.09.2010 | NO NPM | |
27 | Denmark (and Greenland) | 25.06.2004 | The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman
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28 | Ecuador | 20.07.2010 | Defensoría del Pueblo | |
29 | Estonia | 18.12.2006 | Office of the Chancellor of Justice (Ombudsman) | Correspondence |
30 | Finland | 08.10.2014 | The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland | Correspondence |
31 | France | 11.11.2008 | Contrôleur Général des lieux de privation de liberté | Correspondence |
32 | Gabon | 22.09.2010 | NO NPM | |
33 | Georgia | 09.08.2005 | Office of the Public Defender | Correspondence |
34 | Germany | 04.12.2008 | The Federal Agency for the Prevention of Torture and the Join Commission of the Lander were designated as NPM
The first one will deal with federal institutions and the second one will deal with Lander authorities | Correspondence |
35 | Ghana | 23.09.2016 | NO NPM | |
36 | Greece | 11.02.2014 | The Greek Ombudsman | Correspondence |
37 | Guatemala | 09.06.2008 | Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura | Correspondence
Correspondence and Annex |
38 | Honduras | 23.05.2006 | National Committee for the Prevention of Torture |
Information contained in the public SPT visit report |
39 | Hungary | 12.01.2012 | Commissioner for Fundamental Rights | Correspondence |
40 | Iceland | 20.02.2019 | Althing Ombudsman | Correspondence |
41 | Italy | 25.04.2014 | National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty | Correspondence |
42 | Kazakhstan | 22.10.2008 | Commissioner for Human Rights | Correspondence |
43 | Kyrgyzstan | 29.12.2008 | National Center on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment | Correspondence |
44 | Latvia | 10.12.2021 | Ombudsman’s Office | Correspondence |
45 | Lebanon | 22.12.2008 | Sous-comité pour la prévention de la Torture | Correspondence |
46 | Liberia | 22.09.2004 | NO NPM | |
47 | Liechtenstein | 03.11.2006 | Corrections Commission | Correspondence |
48 | Lithuania | 20.01.2014 | Seimas Ombudsmen's Office | Correspondence |
49 | Luxembourg | 19.05.2010 | Médiateur du Grand Duché de Luxembourg | Correspondence |
50 | Madagascar | 21.09.2017 | NO NPM | |
51 | Maldives | 15.02.2006 | Human Rights Commission | Public SPT Report on the first periodic visit to Maldives, |
52 | Mali | 12.05.2005 | Commission nationale des Droits de l'Homme | Correspondence |
53 | Malta | 24.09.2003 | Board of Visitors for Detained Persons and the Board of Visitors of the Prisons | Correspondence |
54 | Mauritania | 03.10.2012 | Mécanisme national de prévention de la torture | Correspondence |
55 | Mauritius | 21.06.2005 | National Human Rights Commission | Information contained in the confidential SPT visit report |
56 | Mexico | 11.04.2005 | Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos | Information contained in the public SPT visit report |
57 | Mongolia | 12.02.2015 | National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia | Correspondence |
58 | Montenegro | 06.03.2009 | Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, Ombudsman | Correspondence |
59 | Morocco | 24.11.2014 | Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH) | Correspondence |
60 | Mozambique | 01.07.2014 | National Human Rights Commission of Mozambique | . |
61 | The Netherlands | 28.09.2010 | Four national inspectorate bodies comprised the Dutch NPM, and were coordinated by the Inspectorate of Security and Justice | Correspondence |
08.09.2024 | Netherlands Institute for Human Rights | Correspondence | ||
62 | Nauru | 24.01.2013 | NO NPM | |
63 | New Zealand | 14.03.2007 | Human Rights Commission (central NPM) The Police Complaints Authority The Judge Advocate General | Correspondence |
64 | Nicaragua | 25.02.2009 | Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos | Correspondence |
65 | Niger | 07.11.2014 | NO NPM | |
66 | Nigeria | 27.07.2009 | NO NPM | |
67 | North Macedonia | 13.02.2009 | Ombudsman of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia The non-governmental organizations registered in the State Party and organizations which have acquired the status of humanitarian organizations in the State Party, may perform some of the competences of the NPM, in agreement with, and with prior consent of the Ombudsman. | Correspondence |
68 | Norway | 27.06.2013 | The Parliamentary Ombud for Scrutiny of the Public Administration | Correspondence |
69 | Panama | 02.06.2011 | Ombuds Institution | |
70 | Paraguay | 02.12.2005 | Comisión Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura y otros tratos o penas crueles, inhumanos o degradantes | See CAT/OP/PRY/2/Add.1, para. 6 |
71 | Peru | 14.09.2006 | Mecanismos Nacional De Prevencion de la Tortura - Defensoria del Pueblo de Perú | Correspondence |
72 | Philippines | 17.04.2012 | NO NPM | |
73 | Poland | 14.09.2005 | The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Ombudsman) | Correspondence |
74 | Portugal | 15.01.2013 | Provedor de Justiça (Ombudsman) | Correspondence |
75 | Republic of Moldova | 24.07.2006 | Centre for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in combination with the Consultative Council | |
76 | Romania | 02.07.2009 | The People's Advocate | Correspondences 1-2 |
77 | Rwanda | 30.06.2015 | National Commission for Human Rights | Correspondence |
78 | Senegal | 18.10.2006 | Observateur national des lieux de privation de liberté | Correspondence |
79 | Serbia | 26.09.2006 | Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman) | Correspondences 1-2 |
80 | Slovakia | 19.09.2023 | Correspondence | |
81 | Slovenia | 23.01.2007 | Human Rights Ombudsman | Correspondence |
82 | South Africa | 20.06.2019 | NO NPM | |
83 | South Sudan | 30.04.2015 | NO NPM | |
84 | Spain | 04.04.2006 | El Defensor del Pueblo | Correspondence |
85 | Sri Lanka | 05.12.2017 | Human Rights Commission | Correspondence |
86 | State of Palestine | 29.12.2017 | NO NPM | |
87 | Sweden | 14.09.2005 | Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice | Correspondence |
88 | Switzerland | 24.09.2009 | Commission nationale de prévention de la torture | Correspondence |
89 | Togo | 20.07.2010 | Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme | Correspondence |
90 | Tunisia | 29.06.2011 | l'Instance Nationale pour la Prévention de la Torture | Correspondence |
91 | Türkiye | 27.09.2011 | National Human Rights Institution of Türkiye | Correspondence |
92 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 10.12.2003 | The UK NPM is comprised of 21 separate bodies, is led by a NPM chair and coordinated by HMIP. The Isle of Man NPM has three members. | Correspondences 1-2-3-4 |
93 | Ukraine | 19.09.2006 | Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights | Correspondence |
94 | Uruguay | 08.12.2005 | Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos | Correspondence |
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- Australia made the declaration under article 24 of Optional Protocol postponing the implementation of its NPM obligations for three years and requested the Committee against Torture to extend that period for another year, which was granted.