The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is hosting a one-day advocacy meeting in Bakadaji to promote the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) and the establishment of a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in The Gambia.
In 2023, The Gambia enacted the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, which partially domesticates the Convention Against Torture, ratified by the country in September 2018. The Act provides a legal framework for prosecuting torture cases and designates the NHRC as one of the institutions to which torture allegations can be reported. However, The Gambia has yet to sign or ratify the OPCAT, which came into force in June 2006, and has not established an NPM as required under the protocol.
The NHRC’s advocacy meeting aims to raise awareness about the significance of OPCAT ratification and the need for a national preventive mechanism to strengthen safeguards against torture.
