Closing Session: Carrying the Struggle Forward: Strategy, Solidarity, and the Next Four Years

The closing session of the Global Week Against Torture is a moment of transition—from one powerful week of global connection to a long-term strategy of resistance, growth, and action. It will present the key takeaways of the week and introduce the strategic priorities that will shape the next four years of the OMCT and the SOS-Torture Network.

The session will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of OMCT and offer tributes to outgoing members of the General Assembly and Executive Council. Through speeches, conversation, and creative elements, it will reconnect us with the movement’s roots while calling on all of us to meet the challenges ahead with renewed commitment.

This session will also inform the deliberations and adoption of strategic orientations at the OMCT General Assembly the following day.

Session Structure
The session is organized around 5 interconnected pillars:

Welcome and Opening Reflections – Claudia Samoya, Vice-President of the OMCT
Opening by the President of OMCT, setting the tone for the session and connecting it to the broader goals of the week and the year ahead.
Keynote Address – Dr. Alice Edwards, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
A forward-looking address on the centrality of anti-torture work in the global struggle for civic space, democratic rights, and human dignity. Focus on protest, torture-free trade, and the links between repression, impunity, and the erosion of international law.
OMCT at 40: Past, Present, and Future - Speaker TBC
A celebratory segment recognizing four decades of OMCT's work. It will include intergenerational dialogue, reflections from leadership, and creative contributions exploring why OMCT is needed more than ever.
Solidarity and Farewell - Speaker TBC
A tribute to outgoing members of the General Assembly and Executive Council, as well as final reflections from the movement’s leaders and allies.
Strategic Takeaways from the Week and Forward Vision: The 2025–2029 Strategy – Speaker TBC
Reflections from OMCT leadership and SOS-Torture Network members on the key themes, lessons, and demands that emerged during the week of global action. Presentation of the core priorities, proposals, and strategic orientations for the next phase of OMCT’s work. This will include highlights from the Global Torture Index and a call to collective ownership of the path forward.

English

Interpretation available: FR / EN / ES / RU / AR