OIP conference: The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture: Developing a Criminal Justice National Preventive Mechanism in Ireland

11th December 2023

On 6 December 2023, IPRT contributed to the high-level international conference hosted by the Office of Inspector of Prisons (OIP) titled The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture: Developing a Criminal Justice National Preventive Mechanism in Ireland.

The ratification of OPCAT, represents a historic opportunity to strengthen the culture of human rights within Irish detention facilities and put in place safeguards to ensure that some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society are protected. 

The keynote speaker for the event was Judge Mykola Gnatovskyy, a Ukrainian Judge at the European Court of Human Rights, and former President of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). 

IPRT Executive Director, Saoirse Brady, spoke at the event. IPRT Policy and Research Coordinator, Pamela Drumgoole, also attended and participated in the workshops at the event.

Read IPRT's contribution here.

Other speakers at the conference included: 

• Julia Kozma, Austrian member of the UN Subcommitee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) and former Head of Delegation during CPT visits to Ireland 
• Sam Gluckstein, Head of the United Kingdom National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) 
• Michael Kellett, Geneva Association for the Prevention of Torture 
• Jacqui Durkin, Chief Inspector, Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland 
• Tigran Karapetyan, Head of Division, Transversal Challenges and Multilateral Projects Task Force, Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe 

Pictures courtesy of the Office of Inspector of Prisons.