OMCT begins mission to Morocco to assess anti-torture progress
Geneva, Rabat,10 December 2012
Today a delegation of experts of the WorldOrganisation Against Torture (OMCT) is beginning its mission to Morocco. Theobjective of the mission is to assess the level of implementation of the UN CommitteeAgainst Torture’s conclusion and recommendation in the fight against tortureissued one year ago.
The delegation is led by Dick Marty, OMCT’s Vice-president, former stateprosecutor of the Canton of Ticino, member of the Swiss Council of States and formerPresident of the Legal and Human Rights Committee of the Parliamentary Assemblyof the Council of Europe. The OMCT’s Human Rights Officer for the Middle Eastand North Africa region, Belkis Wille, is accompanying him on this mission. Themission is undertaken in cooperation with members of the SOS Torture Network,the Moroccan Organisations for Human Rights (OMDH) and the Association forHuman Rights in Morocco (AMDH).
The UN Committee Against Torture, the UN’sauthoritative expert body reviewing states compliance with the UN ConventionAgainst Torture, had issued a year ago a range of recommendations to preventtorture and to ensure accountability for acts of torture. The OMCT mission aimsto collect information on the progress of implementation and to engage withdifferent governmental authorities, the national human rights institution andcivil society, victims and their families, and representatives of theinternational community, on the best way to forward in the fight against tortureat this critical juncture in Morocco.
This follow-up mission forms part of global efforts ledby the OMCT to foster the implementation of the recommendations of the UNCommittee Against Torture undertaken with the financial support of the EuropeanUnion and the Oak Foundation.
For further information:
BelkisWille in Morocco - bw@omct.org,Tél: +41 (0) 22 809 4939
Le Maroc et son respect de la Convention contre laTorture: Rapport alternatif au Comité des Nations Unies contre la Torture Observations finales du Comité contre la Torture, 21Décembre 2011