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{{Infobox Treaty
| name = Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture
| long_name = Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
| image =
| image_width =
| caption =
| type = [[International human rights instruments|Human rights convention]]
| date_drafted = 18 December 2002<ref name=untc/>
| date_signed = 18 December 2002
| location_signed = New York
| date_sealed =
| date_effective = 22 June 2006<ref name=untc/>
| condition_effective = 20 ratifications<ref name=Article28>[http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat-one.htm OPCAT], Article 28. Retrieved on 30 December 2008.</ref>
| date_expiration =
| signatories = 75<ref name=untc/>
| parties = 83<ref name=untc/>
| depositor = [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|UN Secretary-General]]<ref name=Article27>[http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat-one.htm OPCAT], Article 27. Retrieved on 30 December 2008.</ref>
| language =
| languages = Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish<ref name=Article37>[http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat-one.htm OPCAT], Article 37. Retrieved on 30 December 2008.</ref>
| website =
| wikisource =
}}

The '''Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment''' ('''OPCAT''') is a [[treaty]] that supplements to the 1984 [[United Nations Convention Against Torture]]. It establishes an international inspection system for places of detention modeled on the system that has existed in Europe since 1987 (the [[Committee for the Prevention of Torture]]).

The OPCAT was adopted by the [[United Nations General Assembly]] in New York on 18 December 2002,<ref name=untc/> and it entered into force on 22 June 2006.<ref name=untc/> As of October 2016, the Protocol has 75 signatories and 83 parties.<ref name=untc>{{cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-9-b&chapter=4&clang=_en |title=Parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment |publisher=United Nations Treaty Collection |accessdate=13 September 2012}}</ref>

==History==
The idea for this scheme of torture prevention goes back to the Swiss Committee for the Prevention of Torture (today [[Association for the Prevention of Torture]], APT), founded in 1977 by Jean-Jacques Gautier in [[Geneva]]. It envisaged the establishment of a worldwide system of inspection of places of detention, which later took the form of an Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984). For a long time, however, the necessary support for such an optional protocol was not forthcoming. As a consequence, the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) had at its disposal only relatively weak instruments: it could analyse and discuss the self-reports of the respective governments and create the institution of a [[Special Rapporteur (UN)|Special Rapporteur]] on Torture. But neither CAT nor its Special Rapporteur had the power to visit countries, let alone inspect prisons, without the respective government's permission. In 1987, the [[Council of Europe]] realized the original idea on a regional level with its [[European Convention for the Prevention of Torture]]. On this basis, the [[Committee for the Prevention of Torture|European Committee for the Prevention of Torture]] has demonstrated that regular visits, reports and recommendations to the governments as well as the publication of these reports and the governments' reactions the viability of this model. This in turn led to a breakthrough within the United Nations: OPCAT was created and opened for signatures on 18 December 2002 by the [[UN General Assembly]].

After ratification by 20 states, the Optional Protocol came into force on 22 June 2006.<ref name=untc/>

==Ratification status==
[[File:OPCAT members.svg|thumb|right|400px|Parties to the OPCAT
{{legend|#008000|Ratified or acceded}}
{{legend|#00ff00|Signed but not ratified}}
{{legend|#E0E0E0|Non-parties}}]]
As of October 2016, 83 states have ratified the protocol: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.<ref name=untc/>

A further 16 states have signed but not ratified the protocol: Angola, Australia, Belgium, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, Ireland, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Venezuela, and Zambia.<ref name=untc/>

==See also==
* [[Istanbul Protocol]]
* [[International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims]]
* [[Center for Victims of Torture]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat-one.htm Text of the protocol] — Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
* [http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-9-b&chapter=4&lang=en List of parties]
* [http://www.apt.ch Association for the Prevention of Torture]
* [http://www.cvt.org/ The Center for Victims of Torture]

{{Human rights}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Torture Convention Optional Protocol}}
[[Category:Anti-torture treaties|Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture]]
[[Category:Human rights instruments]]
[[Category:United Nations treaties]]
[[Category:Treaties concluded in 2002|Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture]]
[[Category:Treaties entered into force in 2006|Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture]]
[[Category:Treaties of Albania]]
[[Category:Treaties of Argentina]]
[[Category:Treaties of Armenia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Austria]]
[[Category:Treaties of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Belize]]
[[Category:Treaties of Benin]]
[[Category:Treaties of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
[[Category:Treaties of Brazil]]
[[Category:Treaties of Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Treaties of Burkina Faso]]
[[Category:Treaties of Burundi]]
[[Category:Treaties of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Central African Republic]]
[[Category:Treaties of Chile]]
[[Category:Treaties of Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Treaties of Croatia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Cyprus]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Treaties of Denmark]]
[[Category:Treaties of Ecuador]]
[[Category:Treaties of Estonia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Finland]]
[[Category:Treaties of France]]
[[Category:Treaties of Gabon]]
[[Category:Treaties of Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Treaties of Germany]]
[[Category:Treaties of Ghana]]
[[Category:Treaties of Greece]]
[[Category:Treaties of Guatemala]]
[[Category:Treaties of Honduras]]
[[Category:Treaties of Hungary]]
[[Category:Treaties of Italy]]
[[Category:Treaties of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Kyrgyzstan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Lebanon]]
[[Category:Treaties of Liberia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Liechtenstein]]
[[Category:Treaties of Lithuania]]
[[Category:Treaties of Luxembourg]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Maldives]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mali]]
[[Category:Treaties of Malta]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mauritania]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mauritius]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mexico]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mongolia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Montenegro]]
[[Category:Treaties of Morocco]]
[[Category:Treaties of Mozambique]]
[[Category:Treaties of Nauru]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Treaties of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Treaties of Nicaragua]]
[[Category:Treaties of Niger]]
[[Category:Treaties of Nigeria]]
[[Category:Treaties of Norway]]
[[Category:Treaties of Panama]]
[[Category:Treaties of Paraguay]]
[[Category:Treaties of Peru]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Philippines]]
[[Category:Treaties of Poland]]
[[Category:Treaties of Portugal]]
[[Category:Treaties of Romania]]
[[Category:Treaties of Rwanda]]
[[Category:Treaties of Moldova]]
[[Category:Treaties of Senegal]]
[[Category:Treaties of Serbia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Slovenia]]
[[Category:Treaties of South Sudan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Spain]]
[[Category:Treaties of Sweden]]
[[Category:Treaties of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Treaties of the Republic of Macedonia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Togo]]
[[Category:Treaties of Tunisia]]
[[Category:Treaties of Turkey]]
[[Category:Treaties of Ukraine]]
[[Category:Treaties of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Treaties of Uruguay]]
[[Category:2002 in New York]]
[[Category:Treaties adopted by United Nations General Assembly resolutions]]
[[Category:Treaties extended to Greenland]]
[[Category:Treaties extended to the Faroe Islands]]
[[Category:Treaties extended to the Isle of Man]]

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