Rights of persons deprived of their liberty : The role of national human rights structures which are OPCAT mechanisms and of those which are not, Padova, 9-10 Aprile 2008

Workshop programme

Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Opening of the Workshop
Professor Antonio Papisca, Interdepartmental Centre on Human Rights and the Rights of Peoples of the University of Padua
Markus Jaeger, Deputy to the Director, Head of the National Human Rights Structures Unit, Office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights

OPCAT, European Convention on the Prevention of Torture, European Convention on Human Rights: complementary systems?
Introductory presentation by Professor Paolo De Stefani, Interdepartmental Centre on Human Rights and the Rights of Peoples of the University of Padua
Discussion chaired by Eliana Nicolaou, Ombudsman of Cyprus

Institutional and functional requirements regarding the national preventive mecanism (NPM) to be set up under OPCAT
Introductory presentations by Marina Narvaez, UN & Legal Programme Officer, Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), by Maciej Dybowski, Advisor, Office of the Polish Ombudsman
Discussion chaired by Professor Paolo De Stefani

Pros and cons of the various institutional options between using an existing body or setting up a new one
Introductory presentations by Carmen Comas-Mata Mira, Head of First Deputy’s Office, Office of Spanish People’s Defender and Charlotte Clavreul, Human Rights Officer, Office of the French Republic Mediator
Discussion chaired by Christina Papadopoulou, Greek National Commission for Human Rights

Thursday, 10 April 2008

The co-operation between the national actors (NPM, ombudsman, national human rights commission) and the international actors (UN Subcommittee on Prevention, CPT, CoE Commissioner for Human Rights,…)
Introductory presentation by Renate Kicker, First Vice-President of the European
Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), Council of Europe
Discussion chaired by Eric Sottas, Director of the World Organisation against Torture

The co-operation between the national actors (NPM, ombudsman, national human rights commission, NGOs)
Introductory presentations by Ivan Šelih, Senior Advisor, Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Slovenia and by Patrick Marest, National Delegate, International Observatory of Prisons (IOP)
Discussion chaired by Armen Galstyan, Head of the International Department, Office of the Ombudsman of Armenia

Winding-up of the workshop
by Markus Jaeger

Close of the workshop
by Professor Antonio Papisca