Strengthening Anti-torture legislation: Advocacy Insights from OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network
Effective anti-torture legislation is a critical first step ensuring accountability, yet many countries still lack comprehensive laws to address torture and other ill-treatment and fight impunity. To bridge this gap, the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has released Advocating for Anti-Torture Legislation, a vital resource capturing actionable insights and effective advocacy strategies for legislative reforms. This report encapsulates the collective experience and strategic approaches of the SOS-Torture Network on advancing anti-torture legislation in challenging political environments around the world.
From Mexico to Kenya and Thailand, the report showcases diverse advocacy approaches that have proven effective, emphasising the importance of understanding political landscapes and building strategic coalitions. In Mexico, the OMCT network worked to unify anti-torture and anti-disappearance movements, strategically highlighting political costs to legislators who ignored these issues. By aligning advocacy efforts with Mexico’s obligations under international law, the coalition gained traction, culminating in the adoption of national anti-torture legislation in 2017. Similarly, the report recounts how political shifts in Thailand’s 2019 elections created momentum for anti-torture legislation, and how advocates in Kenya used a prevention approach to build support among political leaders. Each example illustrates how tailored, context-sensitive strategies can turn the tide in the fight against torture.
Engaging with a wide array of civil society actors, governmental bodies, and international mechanisms and partners, OMCT members demonstrate the strength of a united, multi-stakeholder approach. By including survivors and their families in the advocacy process, OMCT’s network ensures that legislative efforts remain victim-centered, highlighting the impact of torture and other ill-treatment on individuals and communities.
OMCT members frequently utilise emblematic cases to generate public empathy and raise awareness, leveraging these stories to create legislative pressure. In Russia, the release of bodycam footage showing detainees suffering torture at the hands of prison guards sparked national outrage and spurred public debate, prompting calls for the criminalisation of torture. This type of strategic storytelling demonstrates the power of individual cases to expose systemic abuse and drive forward anti-torture reforms.