Strengthening the Network and Movement

In 2025, the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC) continued to showcase the power of collective action across all areas of anti-torture work. In two years, it secured 29 legal victories in 19 countries, supported 12,341 survivors, and provided financial backing to over 100 anti-torture civil society organisations, while ensuring survivors’ voices are central to its work. The UATC also focused on uniting the movement to address pressing global challenges, including the violent repression of protests. This commitment guided the first UATC Regional Partners Meeting in Africa, which brought together 47 participants from 21 countries, including survivors, civil society organisations, National Human Rights Institutions, and National Preventive Mechanisms, for two days of strategic discussions to drive action locally, nationally, and regionally.

The Human Rights Defenders Program reinforced collective action through ProtectDefenders.eu, the Vuka! (Stand Up Coalition), the Building Responses Together Network, the OHCHR Community of Practice, Human Rights Defenders Memorial, and ESCR-net, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to those who defend human rights.

The agenda included discussion on cross-cutting issues such as migration and torture, torture and ill-treatment in the context of protest, torture-free trade, and strengthening national networks of survivors and relatives of victims. The program also featured regional panels, such as MENA perspectives on challenged universality, African women’s leadership in anti-torture work, and challenges in monitoring torture in South Asia and the Middle East, as well as country-focused discussions on Palestine, India, Chile, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Lebanon.