Information for civil society, NGOs and NHRIs

The mandate of the Committee against Torture

Under article 19 of the Convention against Torture (the Convention), the Committee against Torture (CAT) is mandated to examine reports on the measures that States parties are taking to implement the provisions of the Convention. CAT's mandate also includes the possibility, among other functions, to undertake confidential inquiries when reliable information is received with well-founded indication that torture is being systematically practiced in a State party is received (article 20) and to consider individual complaints (article 22) which is only applicable with regard to States parties that have recognized the competence of the Committee to receive such complaints.

CAT meets for a three to four-week session three times a year in Geneva, in April-May, July-August and November-December and is examining up to six reports per session. During these sessions, the Committee meets with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and national preventive mechanisms (NPMs) before meeting with the State party's delegation to examine the report. Following the examination of a State party's report, in a dialogue with the State party's delegation, the Committee adopts concluding observations. These include concerns and recommendations, some of which are to be followed-up within one year. The concluding observations reflect the Committee's position with respect to the status of the implementation of the Convention in the State party as well as of its previous recommendations. They are transmitted to the State party for implementation, made public on the last day of the session and posted on the website.

Participation of NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs

The Committee receives information from NGOs at different stages of the reporting process and also meets with them during the session examining the report for which they have submitted information. These briefings take place prior to the examination of the State party's report by the Committee. CAT has long recognized the work of NGOs and expresses its appreciation for their reports and participation in these briefings, especially with regard to local and national NGOs, which provide direct country-specific information to the members of the Committee. ECOSOC status is not required for NGOs neither to submit information to the Committee nor to participate to the briefings.

NHRIs are bridges between the national and international protection mechanisms and treaty bodies should have procedures that allowed them to hear their views during the reporting process, as recommended by the Chairpersons and Inter-Committee Meetings. NHRIs should also have the opportunity to address the treaty bodies separately from the State party's delegation and NGOs. Thus, the Committee also receives information from NHRIs and, since 2005, has also met with them. As of the November 2010 session, the country rapporteurs and relevant members of the Committee met with the NHRIs outside the plenary. At its April-May 2015 session, the Committee decided to offer the possibility to have a private plenary meeting with the whole Committee. Similarly to NGO briefings, this meeting also takes place prior to the examination of the State party's report. At the same session, the Committee decided to offer this opportunity of a private plenary meeting to NPMs to be established by States parties as provided for under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

In 2015, the Committee adopted its own Guidelines on the receipt and handling of intimidation and allegations of reprisals against individuals and organizations who cooperate, seek to cooperate or cooperated with it in the context of its monitoring procedures, included the reporting procedure, in accordance with the San José Guidelines. Any reprisals for engaging with the Committee under article 19 of the Convention should be reported to the CAT Secretariat (ohchr-cat@un.org). For additional information, please click here.

 THE WAYS IN WHICH NGOS, NHRIS AND NPMS MAY ENGAGE WITH THE COMMITTEE INCLUDE:

• Written information for its consideration during the preparation and adoption of list of issues (LOIs) and list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPRs);
• Written information for its consideration during the examination of a State party's report;
• NGO, NHRI and NPM in-session briefings;
• Written information for its consideration under the Committee's procedure for follow-up to concluding observations.

1. Written information for LOIs and LOIPR

A. The Committee adopts list of issues (LOIs) at least one session ahead of the session during which it will examine the State party's report and meets with the State party's delegation. The States parties' reports are available on the website under each respective session.

The written information that NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs wish to submit to the Committee for the LOIs s must be received by the Secretariat (see contacts below) in an electronic format within specific deadlines before the opening of the session. Once adopted by the Committee, the LOIs are sent to the State party and posted on the website. The State party's replies to the LOIs are also posted on the website.

- For the 79th session (April-May 2024), the deadline is 22 January 2024.
- For the 81th session (October-November 2024), the deadline is 20 June 2024.

Note that the Committee does not adopt LOIs for the examination of initial reports.

B. The has adopted an optional simplified reporting procedure, which consists in the preparation and adoption of list of issues to be transmitted to States parties prior to the submission of their respective periodic report (such lists are known as list of issues prior to reporting, LOIPRs).

The written information that NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs wish to submit to the Committee for its consideration during the preparation of LOIPRs must be received by the Secretariat within specific deadlines before the opening of the session at which they will be adopted. Once adopted by the Committee, the LOIPR are sent to the State party and posted on the Committee’s webpages. 

- For the 79th session (April-May 2024), the deadline is 22 January 2024.
- For the 81th session (October-November 2024), the deadline is 20 June 2024.

Note that the Committee does not adopt LOIPRs for the examination of initial reports, except in the case of States parties with long overdue initial reports.

Written submissions should be sent in Word format to the following e-mail address: ohchr-cat@un.org

2. Written information for the examination of the State party's report

The written information submitted by NGOs, NHRIs or NPMs to the Committee for its consideration during the examination of a State party's report, must be received in an electronic format (see contacts below) no later than four weeks before the opening of the session. The Committee will not accept any written information after this deadline.

- For the 79th session (April-May 2024), the deadline is 18 March 2024.
- For the 80th session (July 2024), the deadline is 10 June 2024.
- For the 81th session (October-November 2024), the deadline is 30 September 2024.

Written submissions should be sent in Word format to the following e-mail address: ohchr-cat@un.org

3. NGO briefings and meetings with NHRIs and NPMs

NGOs that have submitted written information to the Committee in respect of a given State party may meet with the Committee. These briefings take place prior to the dialogue with the State party's delegation, in private meeting, with interpretation. If needed, NGOs may bring their own interpreters.

During these one-hour briefings, the NGOs representatives have approximately 20 minutes to address the Committee, the remaining time being used for the members of the Committee to pose questions. In the course of these briefings NGOs should not repeat the written information already provided but highlight and update the most important issues. NGOs are also expected to coordinate their presentations in order not to repeat each others information.

As of the July-August 2015 session, NHRIs and NPM's that have submitted written information to the Committee may also meet with the Committee. These briefings take place prior to the dialogue with the State party's delegation, in private meeting, with interpretation. If needed, NHRIs and NPMs may bring their own interpreters.

During these one-hour briefings, the NHRIs and/or NPMs representatives have approximately 20 minutes to address the Committee, the remaining time being used for the members of the Committee to pose questions. In the course of these briefings NHRIs/NPMs should not repeat the written information already provided but highlight and update the most important issues.

NHRIs that have submitted written information may contact the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and/or OHCHR National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section for further assistance.

In order to participate to the session, representatives of the NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs have to be accredited by the Secretariat and enroll for the briefings and/or meetings. Registration must be done through the unique online platform for accreditation (the link will be available on the web page of the session you wish to attend).

Please contact the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) an NGO assisting in the coordinating of NGOs participation for the sessions, at the following email address: cat@omct.org and copy the Secretariat of the Committee at ohchr-cat@un.org, to confirm attendance at the NGOs in-session briefings.

The deadline for your confirmation of attendance is 1st April 2024. Please fill the attached attendance form (English | Français | Español) and send it via the above OMCT and CAT email addresses.

For the examination of a State party's report, the Committee meets with a delegation of the State party in an interactive constructive dialogue. Committee rapporteurs and members ask questions to the delegation on the implementation of the Convention, based on the State party report, the replies to the LOIs, and any additional information they might have, including from NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs.

During this dialogue, neither NGOs nor NHRI and NPMs may intervene but, as these meetings are public, accredited representatives of NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs may attend as observers, even if they have not submitted any information to the Committee.

Please consult Covid-19-related measures in place during the session.

4. Written information for the follow-up to the Committee's recommendations

In May 2003, the Committee adopted a follow-up procedure, which specifically identifies a number of concerns and recommendations in the concluding observations that are serious, protective and can be achieved within one year. States parties are asked to provide information on the measures taken to give effect to these follow-up recommendations.

Information submitted by States parties under the follow-up procedure is made public, as are the letters from the Committee's Rapporteur for follow-up. NGOs and NHRIs may also submit written information to the Committee under this follow-up procedure on the implementation of these recommendations by the State party. All these documents are made available on the Committee's dedicated webpage.

Presentation of information

The Committee encourages NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs to present their information organized under the respective articles of the Convention and/or thematic issues, including relevant concerns and recommendations.

The Committee also encourages NGOs to coordinate their inputs and to submit consolidated reports with factual, reliable, precise, and clear information. The information/report must identify the submitting NGO, as anonymous information is not accepted, and be drafted in a non-abusive language. It must be relevant to the mandate of the Committee and the examination of the State party's report. The information should not contain names of victims except if related to public cases or if the consent of the victims or their families is obtained.

The information submitted by NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs must be sent electronically to the Secretariat within the mentioned deadlines.

Additional information for NGOs and NHRIs may be found on OHCHR website about us, including the handbook for Civil Society on how to work with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

OHCHR does not send letters of invitation for visa purposes to NGOs, NHRIs and NPMs to attend the sessions and cannot assist nor fund their travel to Geneva.

National NGOs may wish to contact Geneva based NGOs for additional information and/or assistance.

AUTHOR:https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/cat/information-civil-society-ngos-and-nhris