In late October, Omega joined a Torture-Free Trade advocacy mission to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The mission, on behalf of the Torture-Free Trade Network – of which Omega is a member of the Core Group – included representatives from Amnesty International, Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (USA), the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations (INCLO), Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) (USA), Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (CELS) (Argentina), The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) (South Africa), The Pan-African Reparations Initiative (PARI), and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) (USA).
The civil society delegation met with UN Special Procedures and State representatives to update on recent developments and discuss future action. We encouraged States to further their engagement with the campaign for a legally-binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty.
This mission builds on the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture’s 2023 thematic study examining the trade in equipment used for torture and other ill-treatment. Omega provided research and analytical support for this study. In 2023, we also joined advocacy meetings at the UN around the launch of the Special Rapporteur’s groundbreaking report.
The Torture-Free Trade Network brings together a wide range of civil society organisations from around the world, united by our commitment to a Torture-Free Trade Treaty. Members include all United Against Torture Consortium organisations.
Omega has a long history of working for controls on the trade in law enforcement equipment used for torture and other ill-treatment at national, regional, and international levels. We are pleased to be able to use our expertise to support the campaign for a Treaty, and to learn from the expertise of other Network members.
Please contact us for more information.
Want to take action now? Sign the Amnesty International petition and join our campaign.