Improving follow-up to CPT recommendations: enhanced role of the Parliamentary Assembly and of national parliaments

1The Parliamentary Assembly reiterates its appreciation for the outstanding work of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which has led to significant improvements in conditions of detention in the States Parties to the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter “the convention”). The ongoing work of the CPT clearly demonstrates, however, that more remains to be done to make Europe a “torture-free zone”.

2The Assembly has for many years developed its role in supporting and promoting the work of the CPT. The Assembly frequently adopts thematic resolutions relating to conditions of detention and the prevention of torture and ill-treatment, an area that is also often addressed in resolutions adopted in the context of the monitoring procedure. In addition, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights has developed the practice of holding an exchange of views with the head of the delegation concerned, whenever the CPT issues a public statement concerning a particular country.

3National parliaments can play an essential role in the promotion and protection of CPT standards, with numerous possibilities available to parliamentarians who wish to be proactive in the review and implementation of CPT recommendations, thus ensuring further transparency and accountability for member States’ obligations relating to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5), and fostering the creation of a deep-rooted human rights culture.

4In this context, the Assembly recalls its Resolution 1823 (2011) “National parliaments: guarantors of human rights in Europe”, in which it called on parliaments to set up and/or to reinforce structures that would permit the mainstreaming and rigorous supervision of their international human rights obligations, on the basis of the “Basic principles for parliamentary supervision of international human rights standards” appended to that resolution.

5The Assembly therefore:

5.1encourages its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to:

5.1.1further develop its practice of holding an exchange of views with the head of the delegation concerned whenever the CPT issues a public statement concerning a particular country;

5.1.2consider organising ad hoc thematic hearings on new standards or outstanding issues originating in the work of the CPT;

5.2encourages its Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and its Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe to consider jointly inviting the President of the CPT to an annual exchange of views during which he or she could, inter alia, present the CPT’s most recent annual report;

5.3resolves to maintain a focus on the issue of conditions of detention and prevention of torture and ill-treatment, including through reports and participation in activities related to standard-setting and implementation.

6The Assembly invites the national parliaments of member States to:

6.1react promptly to CPT reports concerning their own country, in particular by holding their governments to account for the timely implementation of CPT recommendations;

6.2give priority to legislative reforms required to ensure compliance with CPT recommendations;

6.3appeal to their government to take immediate, effective action in response to any public statements adopted by the CPT under Article 10 of the convention concerning their country;

6.4ensure that the mandate of the structure responsible for the mainstreaming and rigorous supervision of the State’s international human rights obligations, established in accordance with Resolution 1823 (2011), includes promoting the implementation of CPT recommendations and the review of CPT annual reports;

6.5make CPT reports concerning their own country more accessible by having them translated into the national language, where possible, and making them available in the parliamentary documentation centre and on their website;

6.6liaise with national preventive mechanisms and any other relevant national human rights structures on the implementation of CPT recommendations;

6.7consider organising a one-off review of the CPT’s recommendations to identify evolutions in standards and outstanding recommendations concerning their own countries, to mark the 30th year of the CPT’s existence in 2019;

6.8co-operate with the Assembly’s Parliamentary Project Support Division in the organisation of activities intended to enhance the parliament’s capacity to promote implementation of CPT recommendations;

6.9appeal, when necessary, to their government to take all necessary steps to ensure that nominations of CPT members are submitted in a timely manner.

7The Assembly invites the member States to:

7.1co-operate fully with their national parliament on implementation of CPT recommendations;

7.2agree in advance to the automatic publication of CPT visit reports and related government responses, subject to the possibility of delaying publication for a certain period in specific circumstances.

8The Assembly invites Turkey to authorise immediately the publication of the report of the ad hoc visit of the CPT in 2016.

1The Parliamentary Assembly recalls its Resolution … (2019) on improving follow-up to CPT recommendations: enhanced role of the Parliamentary Assembly and of national parliaments.

2The Assembly reiterates its invitation to the Committee of Ministers, previously extended in Recommendation 1968 (2011) on strengthening torture prevention mechanisms in Europe, to place on its agenda and discuss as a matter of urgency any public statement adopted by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment under Article 10 of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ETS No. 126), and to adopt a resolution in this sense, as appropriate.