Torture-Free Trade and the Fight Against Torture: Regional Action

Although torture can be committed using many different tools, people are often tortured and ill-treated with specialist law enforcement equipment and weapons. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, in her 2023 Study has shown that the manufacture and trade of such law enforcement equipment is global and is out of control.

Some of this equipment, like batons with metal spikes, thumbcuffs, and electric shock belts and stun guns, is inherently abusive and should never be made, exported or used. Other law enforcement equipment, such as pepper spray, some kinds of rubber bullets, as well as standard batons and restraints, have been regularly misused across the world to intimidate, repress and punish protesters, human rights defenders and others, during policing of demonstrations and in places of detention. Their trade and use needs to be tightly regulated.

This event demonstrates how civil society and State action to promote and facilitate Torture-Free Trade is an essential element in the global fight against torture and other ill-treatment. Speakers from the Americas, Africa and Europe explore the reality and consequences of the unregulated trade in law enforcement equipment, while highlighting advances that have been made to bring it under control. This panel will show  what can be done now to address this trade regionally and internationally through a legally binding Torture-Free Trade Treaty.

Objectives

• Introduce Torture-Free Trade and show its role in preventing and addressing torture.
• Illustrate the roles and points of engagement for civil society and States in promoting and facilitating strong trade controls to prevent law enforcement equipment reaching abusive users who will employ it for torture and other ill-treatment.  
• Raise awareness of projects and organisations supported under Omega’s UATC financial support for third parties’

Panel

• Chair/Introduction – Torture-Free Trade and the fight against torture – Rebecca Shaw, Omega Research Foundation (8-10 minutes)
• Americas Perspective -  Research and advocacy on trade and use of less lethal weapons in Argentina –  Victoria Darraidou, (CELS) Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales (10-12 minutes)
• African Perspective –  Promoting African States’ involvement in The Alliance for Torture Free Trade  – Nyari Pariola, (CSVR) Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (10-12 minutes)
• European Perspective – Strengthening existing EU-wide torture-free trade law and closing down loopholes – Michael Crowley,  Omega Research Foundation (10-12 minutes)
• Questions and Answers (15 minutes)

Languages spoken: English and Spanish
Interpretation available in:  EN / ES