Information on 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 96 States parties to the OPCAT and the information received by the SPT regarding their NPMs*

	Country	Date of ratification/accession	National Preventive Mechanism (NPM)	Information on the designation
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	Australian NPM	Correspondence 1-2
6	Austria	04.12.2012	Austrian Ombudsman Board	Correspondence
7	Azerbaijan	28.01.2009	The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
8	Bangladesh	17.07.2025	NO NPM
9	Belize	04.09.2015	NO NPM
10	Benin	20.09.2006	Commission béninoise des droits de l’homme	Correspondence
11	Bolivia	23.05.2006	Servicio para la Prevención de la Tortura – SEPRET	Correspondence Annexes: 1-2-3-4
11	Bolivia	23.05.2006	Defensoría del Pueblo del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia	Correspondence
12	Bosnia and Herzegovina	24.10.2008	The Institution of Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina	Correspondence
13	Brazil	12.01.2007	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevenção e Combate à Tortura (MNPCT)	Correspondence
14	Bulgaria	01.06.2011	Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria	Correspondence
15	Burkina Faso	07.07.2010	Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
16	Burundi	18.10.2013	NO NPM
17	Cabo Verde	01.04.2016	Commission Nationale des Droits Humains et Citoyenneté	Correspondence 1-2
18	Cambodia	30.03.2007	National Committee against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment	Correspondence
19	Central African Republic	11.10.2016	NO NPM
20	Chile	12.12.2008	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de Tortura	Correspondence
21	Colombia	10.11.2025	NO NPM
22	Congo	26.04.2024	NO NPM
23	Costa Rica	01.12.2005	Defensoria de los Habitantes	Correspondence 1-2
24	Côte d’Ivoire	01.03.2023	NO NPM
25	Croatia	25.04.2005	Ombudsperson	Correspondence
26	Cyprus	29.04.2009	Commissioner of Administration/Ombudsman	Correspondence
27	Czechia	10.07.2006	Public Defender of Rights	Correspondence and Annex I
28	Democratic Republic of the Congo	23.09.2010	NO NPM
29	Denmark (and Greenland)	25.06.2004	The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman Greenland's Ombudsperson	Correspondence Correspondence
30	Ecuador	20.07.2010	Defensoría del Pueblo	Correspondence
31	Estonia	18.12.2006	Office of the Chancellor of Justice (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
32	Finland	08.10.2014	The Parliamentary Ombudsman of Finland	Correspondence
33	France	11.11.2008	Contrôleur Général des lieux de privation de liberté	Correspondence
34	Gabon	22.09.2010	NO NPM
35	Georgia	09.08.2005	Office of the Public Defender	Correspondence
36	Germany	04.12.2008	National Agency for the Prevention of Torture composed of Federal Agency for the Prevention of Torture and the Joint Commission of the Laender	Correspondence
37	Ghana	23.09.2016	NO NPM
38	Greece	11.02.2014	The Greek Ombudsman	Correspondence
39	Guatemala	09.06.2008	Mecanismo Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura	Correspondence
40	Honduras	23.05.2006	National Committee for the Prevention of Torture	Correspondence
41	Hungary	12.01.2012	Commissioner for Fundamental Rights	Correspondence
42	Iceland	20.02.2019	Althing Ombudsman	Correspondence
43	Italy	25.04.2014	National Guarantor for the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty	Correspondence
44	Kazakhstan	22.10.2008	Commissioner for Human Rights	Correspondence
45	Kyrgyzstan	29.12.2008	National Center on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment	Correspondence
45	Kyrgyzstan	29.12.2008	Institution of the Akyikatchy (Ombudsperson) of the Kyrgyz Republic	Correspondence
46	Latvia	10.12.2021	Ombudsman’s Office	Correspondence
47	Lebanon	22.12.2008	Sous-comité pour la prévention de la Torture	Correspondence
48	Liberia	22.09.2004	NO NPM
49	Liechtenstein	03.11.2006	Corrections Commission	Correspondence
50	Lithuania	20.01.2014	Seimas Ombudsmen's Office	Correspondence
51	Luxembourg	19.05.2010	Médiateur du Grand Duché de Luxembourg	Correspondence
52	Madagascar	21.09.2017	Commission Nationale Indépendante des Droits de l’Homme	Correspondence
53	Maldives	15.02.2006	Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
54	Mali	12.05.2005	Commission nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
55	Malta	24.09.2003	Board of Visitors for Detained Persons and the Board of Visitors of the Prisons	Correspondence
56	Mauritania	03.10.2012	Mécanisme national de prévention de la torture	Correspondence
57	Mauritius	21.06.2005	National Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
58	Mexico	11.04.2005	Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos	Correspondence
59	Mongolia	12.02.2015	National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia	Correspondence
60	Montenegro	06.03.2009	Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, Ombudsman	Correspondence
61	Morocco	24.11.2014	Conseil National des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH)	Correspondence
62	Mozambique	01.07.2014	National Human Rights Commission of Mozambique	Correspondence
63	The Netherlands	28.09.2010	Four national inspectorate bodies comprised the Dutch NPM, and were coordinated by the Inspectorate of Security and Justice	Correspondence
63	The Netherlands	28.09.2010	Netherlands Institute for Human Rights	Correspondence
64	Nauru	24.01.2013	NO NPM
65	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
66	Nicaragua	25.02.2009	Procuraduría para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos	Correspondence
67	Niger	07.11.2014	Commission Nationale des Droits Humains	Correspondence The institution was dismissed on 26 July 2023
68	Nigeria	27.07.2009	National Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
69	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
70	Norway	27.06.2013	The Parliamentary Ombud for Scrutiny of the Public Administration	Correspondence
71	Panama	02.06.2011	Ombuds Institution	Correspondence
72	Paraguay	02.12.2005	Comisión Nacional de Prevención de la Tortura y otros tratos o penas crueles, inhumanos o degradantes	Correspondence
73	Peru	14.09.2006	Mecanismos Nacional De Prevencion de la Tortura - Defensoria del Pueblo de Perú	Correspondence
74	Philippines	17.04.2012	NO NPM
75	Poland	14.09.2005	The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
76	Portugal	15.01.2013	Provedor de Justiça (Ombudsman)	Correspondence
77	Republic of Moldova	24.07.2006	Centre for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in combination with the Consultative Council	Correspondence Correspondence Annexes: 1-2
78	Romania	02.07.2009	The People's Advocate	Correspondences 1-2
79	Rwanda	30.06.2015	National Commission for Human Rights	Correspondence
80	Senegal	18.10.2006	Observateur national des lieux de privation de liberté	Correspondence
81	Serbia	26.09.2006	Protector of Citizens (Ombudsman)	Correspondences 1-2
82	Slovakia	19.09.2023	Public Defender of Rights Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Office of the Commissioner for Children	Correspondence
83	Slovenia	23.01.2007	Human Rights Ombudsman	Correspondence
84	South Africa	20.06.2019	South African Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
85	South Sudan	30.04.2015	NO NPM
86	Spain	04.04.2006	El Defensor del Pueblo	Correspondence
87	Sri Lanka	05.12.2017	Human Rights Commission	Correspondence
88	State of Palestine	29.12.2017	NO NPM
89	Sweden	14.09.2005	Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice	Correspondence
90	Switzerland	24.09.2009	Commission nationale de prévention de la torture	Correspondence
91	Togo	20.07.2010	Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme	Correspondence
92	Tunisia	29.06.2011	l'Instance Nationale pour la Prévention de la Torture	Correspondence
93	Türkiye	27.09.2011	Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye	Correspondence
94	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
95	Ukraine	19.09.2006	Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights	Correspondence
96	Uruguay	08.12.2005	Institución Nacional de Derechos Humanos	Correspondence

*The table reflects only the information as reported by the OPCAT States Parties to the SPT regarding their NPM designation and does not represent any appraisal by the SPT regarding the NPM’s compliance with the Optional Protocol.

Information on National Preventive Mechanisms

Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture

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Documentation

Alphabetical list of the 96 States parties to the OPCAT and the information received by the SPT regarding their NPMs*

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