On the occasion of the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) as the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NPM) of Morocco and The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) are organizing a regional webinar entitled “African NPMs, opportunities and challenges during and after the Covid-19 pandemic” on Friday 5 March 2021.
This webinar aims to share experiences among African national prevention mechanisms on ways to optimize the work of NPMs during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This event will also be an opportunity to exchange on challenges and good practices likely to increase the impact of monitoring and NPMs visits to the various places of detention, with a view to better contributing to the promotion of good governance and the rule of law.
Participants, at this webinar, will interact with each other and with several relevant international bodies including the United Nations Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture (SPT), APT and three African NPMs (Kingdom of Morocco, South Africa and Republic of Rwanda).
Mr. Moahmmed Benajiba, Coordinator of MNP / CNDH Morocco, Mrs. Catherine Paulet, Member of SPT, Mrs. Christine Umubyeyi, Head of NPM department Rwanda, Mr. Chris Nissen, Commissioner, HRC/NPM, South Africa will take part in this event. They will discuss the following questions:
- How to adapt the visit priorities during the pandemic (types of places, health services, vulnerabilities) while maintaining a broad prevention mandate?
- How to monitor the end of the pandemic (vaccination of detainees and staff, maintenance/ relaxation of measures)?
- Remote control and monitoring: are there good practices to pick up and keep for the post-Covid-19 period?
Beyond visits and monitoring, what are the opportunities for NPMs to promote structural changes (reduction of the prison population, health services, training, others)?
Mrs. Amina Bouayach, CNDH Chairperson, Mrs. Suzanne Jabbour, SPT President and Mrs. Barbara Bernath, APT Secretary General will participate in the opening session of this webinar which will be moderated by Mr. Rémy Ngoy, member of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR).
This webinar will be live on Facebook: @APT.GENEVA and @CNDHMaroc.AR starting at 2:30 p.m.
