World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Terms of Reference for the organisation of a roundtable to discuss the follow-up of the UN Committee Against Torture’s review of Russia,
for the drafting of a follow-up shadow report and for the organization of a joint advocacy campaign on key CAT recommendations
I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROJECT BACKGROUND
A. The OMCT
The World Organization Against Torture (Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture – OMCT) was founded in 1985. Based in Geneva but working through its large and active SOS-Torture Network working in more than 90 countries, it is among the largest civil society coalitions fighting against torture and all other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in the world. The mission of the OMCT is to contribute to the eradication of torture, summary executions, disappearances, arbitrary detention and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and to provide protection to victims and potential victims through its global network of civil society organizations (CSOs) working in partnership and solidarity. OMCT is the CSO coordinator for the United Nations Committee Against Torture (hereinafter CAT) and provides support to CSOs engaging with CAT.
Further information about the OMCT and its activities with the UN Committee Against Torture can be found on the website, as well as the OMCT’s CAT Blog, or through our social media outlets on Facebook and Twitter.
B. The Project
OMCT supported Russian CSOs in engaging with the CAT review of Russia during its 64th session in 2018. As a follow up to this endeavor, OMCT would like to support a Russian civil society organisation in arranging a roundtable discussion with members from Russian civil society and representatives from the Presidential Human Rights Council and the federal Ombudsperson for Human Rights; and the subsequent drafting of a follow-up shadow report,[1] striving towards domestic implementation of the Convention Against Torture.
The OMCT would also like to support a Russian civil society organization for organizing an advocacy campaign inside Russia on the implementation of key recommendations from the last CAT concluding observations.
OMCT contributes to the strengthening of domestic anti-torture coalitions in the run up or follow-up to CAT reporting, supported by the European Union (EU), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DFAE), and in working with and supporting the global anti-torture movement. The total available amount for the organization of the roundtable and the drafting of the follow-up report is capped at EUR 5,500. The total available amount for the advocacy campaign is capped at EUR 4,000.
II. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND METHODOLOGY
A. Roundtable and shadow follow-up report
The roundtable and the drafting of the follow-up report will have to be organized and finalized prior to the CAT deadline for submission of the follow-up shadow report on 28 November 2019.
OMCT will provide technical support to the organisation of the roundtable, including participating in the roundtable introducing and explaining the CAT follow-up procedure in detail. Technical support and orientation will also be provided during the drafting of the follow-up shadow report.
The roundtable and the drafting of the follow-up shadow report will have to be organized in a manner taking due account of the safety and security of the participating persons/organisations.
1. Roundtable to discuss the follow-up of the UN Committee Against Torture’s review of Russia
The roundtable will have to include the participation and representation of a wide range of organisations from Russian civil society with a focus on the ones that have submitted or participated in the submission of the CAT review of Russia, as well as representatives from selected state institutions. Participating CSO members will also have to represent particularly vulnerable groups in Russia, such as women, children and LGBT. The discussions will have to be held under the Chatham House rule[2] for safety issues.
The aim of this roundtable is to strengthen Russian civil society in the follow-up of the CAT review of Russia and the national implementation of the Convention in general and the CAT recommendations in particular.
The roundtable should take place as a half or full day event and will have to be organized in a manner facilitating the free participation of all CSO representatives present at the event.
The roundtable discussions will have to treat the CAT follow-up issues on:
· the effective investigation of all incidents and allegations of torture and ill-treatment;
· effective protection of human rights defenders and journalists;
· recent developments in Russia relating to the Convention or other CAT recommendations, such as the definition of torture in domestic law.
The roundtable and the report will also address the rating of Russia’s implementation of the CAT recommendations from A (recommendation has largely been implemented) to E (the recommendation has been counteracted).[3]
2. Drafting of the follow-up shadow report
The follow-up shadow report will have to make account of the discussions held during the roundtable on the abovementioned follow-up issues. In drafting the follow-up shadow report, it is recommended that the elected organisation does the following:
· Provide in a structured manner information on the implementation of the CAT follow-up issues in the Concluding Observations of Russia;
· Sustain the information with factual, reliable, precise and clear facts;
· Use concrete examples and statistics;
· Make constructive recommendations for improvement of the implementation of the Convention Against Torture in Russia;
· If relevant, refer to Concluding Observations, reports, statements issued by other UN treaty bodies and special procedures, as well as by regional human rights mechanisms;
· Information should not contain names of victims except if related to cases already in the public domain or if the consent of the victims or their families is obtained.
The word limit for the follow-up shadow report is 3500 words.
B. Advocacy campaign
The civil society organisation has to present a proposal for an advocacy campaign on the implementation of key recommendations from the last CAT concluding observations.
OMCT will provide advice on the CAT implementation process.
The advocacy campaign will have to be completed by 31 December 2019.
IV. DURATION AND LOCATION
The organisation of the roundtable and the drafting of the follow-up shadow report are to be undertaken between September and November 2019 and must be completed by the 28 of November 2019. The advocacy campaign is to be completed by 31 December 2019. A narrative and financial report of the activities will have to be submitted to OMCT 31 December 2019 (31 January 2020 for the advocacy campaign).
V. REQUIREMENTS and ELIGIBILITY
Organisations with the following profile and competencies are encouraged to express their interest:
VI. APPLICATIONS AND CONSIDERATION
Applications will be accepted up to the 16th of August 2019, only via email, to rl@omct.org . Thank you for understanding that we cannot answer phone enquiries.
In order for your application to be considered, please send an email indicating "Russia CAT follow-up " in the subject heading, with the following attachments:
· A short narrative application identifying the objectives and expected results of the advocacy campaign and the roundtable and an outline for the follow-up shadow report and the methodology for information collection. The narrative application should also include how the sustainability of the activities will be secured;
· A budget specifying the different expenses related to the organisation of the joint advocacy campaign, the roundtable and the drafting of the follow-up shadow report;
· A timeline of the organisation of the advocacy campaign, the roundtable and the follow-up shadow report.
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the OMCT and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands or the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
[1]
The Committee
Against Torture has issued guidelines for follow-up to concluding observations
(CAT/C/55/3), available at:
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G15/210/35/PDF/G1521035.pdf?OpenElement.
[2] “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed”, Chatham House. The Royal Institute of International Affairs, https://www.chathamhouse.org/chatham-house-rule.
[3]
See para. 20
of the CAT Guidelines for follow-up to concluding observations, available at:
https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G15/210/35/PDF/G1521035.pdf?OpenElement.
OMCT_Russia_OpenCall_CAT-Report_08-19
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