Terms of Reference

Second Regional Meeting of the OPCAT Project

September 12–15, 2007, Manila, Philippines

Background

As you know, this year RCT, together with AHRC, was awarded a three year grant (Project Period: January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009) from the European Commission to promote the signature and ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture in four Asian countries viz. Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The project also involves strengthening national capacities in the target countries to enable effective domestic implementation of the OPCAT. Objectives of the Project would be achieved by a Regional Network comprising RCT, AHRC, 4 national coordinators and the regional coordinator as well as the four national networks (established and strenghtened by BRCT-Bangladesh, PAT-Sri Lanka, BALAY-Philippines and the AHRC office, Cambodia).

The inception meeting between Project partners was held in February, 25 - 28, 2007. At this meeting, representatives of the National Networks introduced their organisations and activities conducted and also presented their draft national action plans broadly keeping to the action plan presented in the project documents. Operational guidelines for cooperating with each other, creating and maintaining the project website and successful campaigning and lobbying strategies were also discussed. The next meeting was planned for June in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Subsequently, RCT signed separate agreements with each partner in line with rules and regulations of RCT and in accordance with the grant requirements of the EU Commission. The National partners also went ahead and recruited their national coordinators as per project requirements. Despite an unforeseen delay in the transfer of project fund from the EU, the national partners have also spearheaded their national campaigns by conducting various project activities such as view exchange meetings with government officials and professional groups, street movements and commemorating red letter days. The regional coordinator has set up the project website (found at: www.prevent-torture.net) and with the help of AHRC’s technical staff and national partners, updated it regularly.

Unfortunately, deterioration in the political and human rights situation in Bangladesh necessitated a change of venue for the next regional meeting, which our Filipino partners, BALAY graciously offered to host in Manila. Thus it is now been agreed that the 2^nd regional meeting will be held from September 12 -15, 2007, in Manila, the Philippines. 

It need be emphasised that this second meeting presents an opportune moment for members of the regional network to meet, share and discuss the challenges they face when carrying out project activities in their countries as well as to seek ways and means of overcoming them. Appropriately, the theme of the 2^nd Regional Meeting could be: “Successfully Promoting the OPCAT through the Challenges of Our Times”

Objectives:

• To ensure continued consensus on objectives and strategies in accordance with project requirements.
• To share and discuss the volatile political, legal and human rights situation in partner countries and impact on successfully executing project activities under prevailing conditions.
• To discuss and review national action plans already formulated by partner networks for project implementation in the target countries.
• Discuss and recommend improvements to Regional Website as well as other regional activities that may be conducted.
• To discuss existing standards of documentation of torture--both legal and medical—and develop suitable methodologies for successful implementation in partner countries.  
• Discuss extensive campaigning and lobbying activities conducted in the Philippines promoting the OPCAT including lessons learned.
• Visit to a detention centre and meeting with members of the Philippines national network.

Expected Results

• Finalise modified National Action Plan giving special consideration to the challenges faced by each national partner.
• Draw up broad guidelines for documenting torture in target countries.
• Fixing date and venue of next regional meeting.

Time Frame

The 2^nd Regional Meeting will be held from September 12 – 15, 2007.  Participants are expected to arrive in Manila on the 11^th and depart on the 16^th.

Participation

Participants of the Meeting will be: Erik Wendt and Dorrit Iversen (RCT, Denmark), Basil Fernando, Dr. Lao Monghay (resource persons, AHRC, Hong Kong) Shyamali Puvimanasinghe (Regional Coordinator, AHRC), Nazmul Chaudhury (BRCT, Bangladesh), Van Virak, (AHRC office, Cambodia), Chitral Perera (PAT, Sri Lanka) and Lorraine de la Cruz and Budit from BALAY, Philippines).

Work Method

The sessions will be flexible in structure giving emphasis to open discussion around the broad theme of each session. Participants will make a formal presentation on their national action plans and project activities carried out. Photos and video footage of activities conducted will be most welcome. Partners may also bring along written papers and /or other material to be included in the project website and / or shared among participants.

Report:

The Regional Coordinator will keep minutes of the Meeting and together with the RCT team produce a brief report containing the outcome of the Meeting.

Finalized Agenda

* Each presentation would tackle the volatile environment in campaign countries and how it impacts on project activities; the design of strategies to manage the situation

There would be assigned facilitators for the day:

First day – 12 September :  Erik
Second day – 13 September :  Lou
Third day – 14 September :  Dr. Lao
Fourth day – c/o BALAY

It has also been jointly agreed that all Regional OPCAT Project Meetings will contain the following areas for discussion in every meeting:

First:  Status/developments of country-level campaign implementation.  This is an important part of the regular agenda to address difficulties encountered by the national coordinators and the partner-organizations in each country.  At the same time, this is an opportunity to document good and best practices of campaign implementation and campaign experience shared, and lastly, to draw lessons from the experience and campaign practice.

Second:  The regional shape of the campaign.  This is another important part of the agenda.  The regional shape of the campaign could be a combination of the coordinated country-level implementation and planned regional activities that could provide the push and support to the country level campaign development and implementation.  Both complement each other.

Third:  Presentation/sharing on the status/development of other regional/global initiatives which is to be shared by RCT so that the national coordinators and regional coordinator could draw inspiration from the sharing and learn from it.

Fourth:  Planned inputs contributory to enrichment of campaign implementation, and enhancement of capacities of national coordinators and regional coordinator.  This was piloted in the inception workshop wherein an input about campaign was provided by AHRC.  For the second meeting to be held in Manila, another input is being considered that on torture documentation.  On the third meeting, an input on lobby could probably be considered.

Fifth:  Ways forward that considers the necessary adjustment and refinements into the existing plan or may need some kind of re-entry planning which applies both at the country level and regional level plans.

Sixth:  Visit to prison in host country to see parallelisms, similarities and diversities among prison conditions in different countries involved in the campaign.  Another area that could be extended to regional meetings is the view exchange meeting with the national network so that the regional body would have the opportunity to meet and interact with representative/s of the national network.