International Seminar The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Federal States: Challenges and possible solutions

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1 International Seminar The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Federal States: Challenges and possible solutions September 2008, Buenos Aires, Argentina General objective: To contribute to the effective implementation of the OPCAT in Federal States by exploring pragmatic solutions and creative approaches to the common challenges faced in the designation of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM) Specific objectives: To facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices on NPM proposals in Federal States To provide elements of analysis for a conceptual framework on the challenges of the OPCAT implementation in Federal States Federal States participating Others States with similar challenges Argentina Australia Austria Brazil Canada Germany Mexico Switzerland Spain United Kingdom Host institutions: Donors:

2 Tuesday 23 September (Ex - ESMA): Public Opening ceremony 17:00-18:00 Tour of the Ex Naval Mechanics School (Ex -ESMA) OPENING CEREMONY Chaired by: Marco Mona. Honorary Board Member of the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) Welcoming speeches: 18:00 18:45 Ambassador Vicente Espeche Gil. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Argentina. General Coordinator of Bilateral Issues Martin Grass. Sub-Secretary of Promotion and Human Right. Human Rights Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Security, Human Rights of the Republic of Argentina Bacre Ndiaye. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Director of the Human Rights Council and Treaties Division Liliana Tojo. Centre for Justice and International Law (CEJIL). Director of the Programme for the Southern Cone Keynote speeches 18:45-20:00 Rainer Hofmann. Some challenges to the implementation of human rights treaties in Federal States. Professor of Public Law and Public International Law, School of Law, University of Frankfurt. Mario Coriolano. The OPCAT: a novel preventive system. Member of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT). 20:00 Reception 2

3 Wednesday 24 September (San Andrés University) 9:30-10:00 Registration of participants 10:00-10:15 Introduction from Seminar Chairperson, Marco Mona. APT PANEL 1 10:15-11:45 JURIDISCTION AND COMPETENCES IN RELATION TO PREVENTION OF TORTURE IN FEDERAL STATES chaired by: Miguel Sarre. Member of the SPT Conceptual framework, Gustavo Palmieri. Institutional Violence and Citizens Security Programme Director, Centre of Legal and Social Studies (CELS) Practical examples Coffee break - Australia: Ben Schokman. Human Rights Lawyer. Human Rights Law Resource Centre. - Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Maria Claudia Pulido. Coordinator of the Southern Cone region PANEL 2 CONSULTATION PROCESSES TO RATIFY AND IMPLEMENT THE OPCAT IN FEDERAL STATES chaired by: Liliana Tojo, Director. CEJIL Conceptual framework, Claudia Gerez Czitrom. Americas Programme Officer, APT Consultation processes to ratify the OPCAT Practical examples: - Switzerland: Carla del Ponte. Ambassador of Switzerland in Argentina and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) - Austria: Andrea Huber. Head of Department, Monitoring and Advocacy, Amnesty International-Austria 13: Lunch break 3

4 PANEL 2 (cont.) chaired by: Richard Harding. University of Western Australia, first Inspector of Custodial Services Consultation processes to implement the OPCAT: Practical examples: - Argentina: Ciro Annicchiarico. Adviser. Human Rights Secretariat. Ministry of Justice of Argentina - Spain: Jorge del Cura. Representative of the Network for Prevention of Torture Working groups Working group 1: Ratification process of the OPCAT. Chaired by: Audrey Olivier. OPCAT Coordinator (APT). Working group 2: Implementation process of the OPCAT. Chaired by: Eloisa Machado. Coordinator of Human Rights and Justice Programme. CONECTAS. Brazil :30 Report back to plenary session Return to the Hotel followed by free evening

5 Thursday 25 September (San Andrés University) PANEL MONITORING PLACES OF DETENTION IN FEDERAL STATES chaired by: Bacre Ndiaye. OHCHR. Conceptual framework. Monitoring places of detention to prevent torture. Claudio Grossman, Chairman of the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) Practical examples - Brazil: Paulo Vannuchi. Minister. Human Rights Secretariat of the Presidency - Australia: Richard Harding. University of Western Australia, first Inspector of Custodial Services - Argentina: Francisco Mugnolo. Procuración Penitenciaria (Ombudsman for Prisons) 11:30 12:00 Coffee break PANEL 3 (cont.) chaired by: Patrice Gillibert, Secretary of the SPT, OHCHR 12:00 13:15 Practical examples - Canada: Ivan Zinger. Director of Policy and Senior Counsel, Office of the Correctional Investigator - Brazil: José de Jesus Filho. Pastoral Prisons Services - Mexico: Alejandra Nuño Ruiz Velasco. Cuarta Visitadora General, Human Rights Commission of the Federal District 13:15 14:30 Lunch break 14:30 15:30 Working groups Working group 1: Visiting places of detention in Federal States. Chaired by: Luciano Mariz Maia. Regional Prosecutor. Brazil Working group 2: Follow-up to recommendations in Federal States. Chaired by: Maria Luisa Cava de Llano. Deputy Ombudsman. Spain 15:30 16:15 Plenary session Return to the hotel 20:00 Dinner (optional) 5

6 Friday 26 September (Palacio San Martin) PANEL 4 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISMS IN FEDERAL STATES: POSSIBLE MODELS FOR AN EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM chaired by Mónica Pinto. APT Board Member Conceptual framework: pros and cons of the various NPM models, Mario Coriolano. Member of the SPT Practical examples - Mexico: Eduardo San Miguel Aguirre. Director. National Preventive Mechanism. - Germany: Rainer Hoffman. Professor of Public Law and Public International Law, School of Law, University of Frankfurt - Argentina: Roberto F. Cipriano Garcia. Coordinator. Committee against Torture, Provincial Commission for the Memory 11:45-12:15 Coffee break CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS 12:15 12:45 Presentation of the Rapporteur, Marina Narváez. UN Legal Programme Officer, APT 12:45-13:30 Closing remarks: Liliana Tojo. CEJIL Ambassador Vicente Espeche Gil. General Coordinator of bilateral issues. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Argentina Rodolfo Mattarollo. Advisor of Human Rights Secretariat. Ministry of Justice, Security and Human Rights of the Republic of Argentina Marco Mona. Chairperson of the Seminar. 6