Since 2018, along with OSCE-ODIHR and the University of Exeter, we have offered workshops and training sessions on monitoring weapons and restraints in places of detention to detention monitors from national anti-torture mechanisms. So far we have worked with monitors from Austria, France, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Uzbekistan. Each workshop is tailored to the needs of the specific mechanism so in different countries we focus on the different challenges they face. However, the aim is always the same – to raise their awareness about weapons and instruments of restraint used by law enforcement and prison officers.
The most recent workshop was in in March 2024 when we travelled to Bratislava to train the newly formed Slovakian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM). The workshop covered international norms and standards governing law enforcement equipment, the human rights issues raised by different types of weapons and equipment, and how to document their use. We also worked with participants to develop follow-up actions for the NPM and recommendations for the Slovakian authorities.
If you are interested in finding out more about the training we offer please contact us on info@omegaresearchfoundation.org.