National Preventive Mechanisms

Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture

The Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture (OPCAT) is the international instrument establishing the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and entrusting national bodies – the National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) – with a role in the implementation of the Convention, as monitoring bodies.

NPMs have the mandate to regularly visit places of deprivation of liberty in their country, such as police stations, prisons and other detention facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and any other places where persons are not permitted to leave at their own will. NPMs also have the mandate to make recommendations to national authorities to work with them on the prevention of torture and ill-treatment and on the improvement of conditions of living in places of deprivation of liberty, for which they have a key role.

NPMs are empowered to perform their mandate effectively considering that they are independent bodies to which States Parties guarantee their functional independence as well as the independence of their personnel, ensure that their experts have the required capabilities and professional knowledge and provide them with the necessary resources for their adequate functioning.

Documentation

Alphabetical list of the 94 States parties to the OPCAT and their NPMs:

	Country	Date of ratification/accession	National Preventive Mechanism (NPM)	Communication from State Parties regarding the designation of the NPM
1	Afghanistan	17.04.2018	NO NPM
2	Albania	01.10.2003	People's Advocate	Correspondence
3	Argentina	15.11.2004	Comité Nacional para la Prevención de la Tortura y Otros Tratos o Penas Crueles, Inhumanos o Degradantes	Correspondence
4	Armenia	14.09.2006	Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia	Correspondence
5	Australia	21.12.2017	NO NPM
6	Austria	04.12.2012	Austrian Ombudsman Board	Correspondence
7	Azerbaijan	28.01.2009	The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
8	Belize	04.09.2015	NO NPM
9	Benin	20.09.2006	NO NPM
10	Bolivia	23.05.2006	Servicio para la Prevención de la Tortura – SEPRET	Correspondence Annexes: 1-2-3-4 Information contained in the confidential SPT visit report
11	Bosnia and Herzegovina	24.10.2008	The Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Correspondence
12	Brazil	12.01.2007	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevenção e Combate à Tortura (MNPCT)	Correspondence
13	Bulgaria	01.06.2011	Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria	Correspondence
14	Burkina Faso	07.07.2010	Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
15	Burundi	18.10.2013	NO NPM
16	Cabo Verde	01.04.2016	Commission Nationale des Droits Humains et Citoyenneté	Correspondence 1
17	Cambodia	30.03.2007	National Committee against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment	Correspondence
18	Central African Republic	11.10.2016	NO NPM
19	Chile	12.12.2008	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de Tortura	Correspondence
20	Congo	26.04.2024	NO NPM
21	Costa Rica	01.12.2005	Defensoria de los Habitantes	Correspondence
22	Côte d’Ivoire	01.03.2023	NO NPM
23	Croatia	25.04.2005	Ombudsperson	Correspondence
24	Cyprus	29.04.2009	Commissioner of Administration/Ombudsman	Correspondence
25	Czechia	10.07.2006	Public Defender of Rights	Correspondence and Annex I
26	Democratic Republic of the Congo	23.09.2010	NO NPM
27	Denmark (and Greenland)	25.06.2004	The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman Greenland's Ombudsperson	Correspondence Correspondence
28	Ecuador	20.07.2010	Defensoría del Pueblo
29	Estonia	18.12.2006	Office of the Chancellor of Justice (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
30	Finland	08.10.2014	The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland	Correspondence
31	France	11.11.2008	Contrôleur Général des lieux de privation de liberté	Correspondence
32	Gabon	22.09.2010	NO NPM
33	Georgia	09.08.2005	Office of the Public Defender	Correspondence
34	Germany	04.12.2008	The Federal Agency for the Prevention of Torture and the Join Commission of the Lander were designated as NPM The first one will deal with federal institutions and the second one will deal with Lander authorities	Correspondence
35	Ghana	23.09.2016	NO NPM
36	Greece	11.02.2014	The Greek Ombudsman	Correspondence
37	Guatemala	09.06.2008	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura	Correspondence Not for public distribution Correspondence and Annex
38	Honduras	23.05.2006	National Committee for the Prevention of Torture	Correspondence Information contained in the public SPT visit report
39	Hungary	12.01.2012	Commissioner for Fundamental Rights	Correspondence
40	Iceland	20.02.2019	Althing Ombudsman	Correspondence
41	Italy	25.04.2014	National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty	Correspondence
42	Kazakhstan	22.10.2008	Commissioner for Human Rights	Correspondence
43	Kyrgyzstan	29.12.2008	National Center on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment	Correspondence
44	Latvia	10.12.2021	Ombudsman’s Office	Correspondence
45	Lebanon	22.12.2008	Sous-comité pour la prévention de la Torture	Correspondence
46	Liberia	22.09.2004	NO NPM
47	Liechtenstein	03.11.2006	Corrections Commission	Correspondence
48	Lithuania	20.01.2014	Seimas Ombudsmen's Office	Correspondence
49	Luxembourg	19.05.2010	Médiateur du Grand Duché de Luxembourg	Correspondence
50	Madagascar	21.09.2017	NO NPM
51	Maldives	15.02.2006	Human Rights Commission	Correspondence Public SPT Report on the first periodic visit to Maldives, CAT/OP/MDV/1
52	Mali	12.05.2005	Commission nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
53	Malta	24.09.2003	Board of Visitors for Detained Persons and the Board of Visitors of the Prisons	Correspondence
54	Mauritania	03.10.2012	Mécanisme national de prévention de la torture	Correspondence
55	Mauritius	21.06.2005	National Human Rights Commission	Correspondence Information contained in the confidential SPT visit report
56	Mexico	11.04.2005	Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos	Correspondence Information contained in the public SPT visit report
57	Mongolia	12.02.2015	National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia	Correspondence
58	Montenegro	06.03.2009	Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, Ombudsman	Correspondence
59	Morocco	24.11.2014	Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH)	Correspondence
60	Mozambique	01.07.2014	National Human Rights Commission of Mozambique	.
61	The Netherlands	28.09.2010	Four national inspectorate bodies comprised the Dutch NPM, and were coordinated by the Inspectorate of Security and Justice	Correspondence
61	The Netherlands	08.09.2024	Netherlands Institute for Human Rights	Correspondence
62	Nauru	24.01.2013	NO NPM
63	New Zealand	14.03.2007	Human Rights Commission (central NPM) The Ombudsman's Office The Children's Commissioner The Police Complaints Authority The Judge Advocate General	Correspondence
64	Nicaragua	25.02.2009	Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos	Correspondence
65	Niger	07.11.2014	NO NPM
66	Nigeria	27.07.2009	NO NPM
67	North Macedonia	13.02.2009	Ombudsman of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia The non-governmental organizations registered in the State Party and organizations which have acquired the status of humanitarian organizations in the State Party, may perform some of the competences of the NPM, in agreement with, and with prior consent of the Ombudsman.	Correspondence
68	Norway	27.06.2013	The Parliamentary Ombud for Scrutiny of the Public Administration	Correspondence
69	Panama	02.06.2011	Ombuds Institution
70	Paraguay	02.12.2005	Comisión Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura y otros tratos o penas crueles, inhumanos o degradantes	See CAT/OP/PRY/2/Add.1, para. 6 Correspondence
71	Peru	14.09.2006	Mecanismos Nacional De Prevencion de la Tortura - Defensoria del Pueblo de Perú	Correspondence
72	Philippines	17.04.2012	NO NPM
73	Poland	14.09.2005	The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
74	Portugal	15.01.2013	Provedor de Justiça (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
75	Republic of Moldova	24.07.2006	Centre for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in combination with the Consultative Council	Correspondence Correspondence Annexes: 1-2
76	Romania	02.07.2009	The People's Advocate	Correspondences 1-2
77	Rwanda	30.06.2015	National Commission for Human Rights	Correspondence
78	Senegal	18.10.2006	Observateur national des lieux de privation de liberté	Correspondence
79	Serbia	26.09.2006	Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman)	Correspondences 1-2
80	Slovakia	19.09.2023	Public Defender of Rights Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Office of the Commissioner for Children	Correspondence
81	Slovenia	23.01.2007	Human Rights Ombudsman	Correspondence
82	South Africa	20.06.2019	NO NPM
83	South Sudan	30.04.2015	NO NPM
84	Spain	04.04.2006	El Defensor del Pueblo	Correspondence
85	Sri Lanka	05.12.2017	Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
86	State of Palestine	29.12.2017	NO NPM
87	Sweden	14.09.2005	Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice	Correspondence
88	Switzerland	24.09.2009	Commission nationale de prévention de la torture	Correspondence
89	Togo	20.07.2010	Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
90	Tunisia	29.06.2011	l'Instance Nationale pour la Prévention de la Torture	Correspondence
91	Türkiye	27.09.2011	National Human Rights Institution of Türkiye Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye	Correspondence
92	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	10.12.2003	The UK NPM is comprised of 21 separate bodies, is led by a NPM chair and coordinated by HMIP. The Isle of Man NPM has three members.	Correspondences 1-2-3-4
93	Ukraine	19.09.2006	Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights	Correspondence
94	Uruguay	08.12.2005	Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos	Correspondence

National Preventive Mechanisms

Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture

About the subcommittee

Legal framework