A Message from our President

Championing Human Rights in a World of Escalating Challenges

As we reflect on 2024, a year marked by escalating global instability and human rights crises, the urgent need for collective action to defend human dignity has never been clearer. Let me be clear: a world without firm universal rules and without human rights is a very dangerous world. We need a “sea change”: human rights were established to withstand crises, and it is in times of crisis that they are most needed. Supporting human rights work is not “charity”; it is an investment in a better world - one that is more just, more secure, and more prosperous.

From the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan to the systematic repression and torture in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Iran, and Georgia, the challenges to fundamental human rights have been immense. In Israel and Palestine, mounting allegations of torture have drawn widespread international concern, and the selectivity of some states has tested the universality of the prohibition of torture - a prohibition that does not distinguish between groups of victims. The rise in police violence and the shift from police service to police force - militarized and heavily weaponized - coupled with persistent vulnerabilities faced by people on the move, particularly those trying to cross the Mediterranean via Libya and Tunisia, and by human rights defenders, demands our unwavering commitment.

The Power of Partnerships

In the face of these daunting realities, the OMCT and its SOS-Torture Network have stood firm as a beacon of hope. In 2024, we welcomed six new members to the SOS-Torture Network, further strengthening this vital network's capacity to respond to torture and other human rights violations around the world.

The OMCT continues to work tirelessly with our partners, including as part of the United Against Torture Consortium, and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, to advocate for justice and protect the most vulnerable. Our strength lies in our united front, bringing together our network, diverse expertise, and unwavering dedication to combating torture and human rights violations locally and globally.

Tools for Change

As 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Convention Against Torture, we, together with the United Against Torture Consortium, launched visibility actions aimed at reinstating the absolute prohibition of torture under all circumstances.

Building on this momentum, OMCT achieved significant milestones in 2024 by developing two critical tools designed to enhance human rights protection. These include the SOS Defenders Database and the Global Torture Index. In its first year, SOS-Defenders documented 4,445 cases of human rights defenders arbitrarily detained in 17 countries and contributed to securing the release of 41 of them. The Global Torture Index, which assesses the risk of torture across various countries, will be officially launched during the Global Week Against Torture in June 2025, and we invite you to join us.

Key achievements in 2024 include OMCT’s enhanced capacity to carry out interventions across five regions, fostering closer collaboration with country-level SOS-Torture Network members and partners. We continued supporting their efforts to engage with the UN Committee Against Torture, and as a result of joint actions with partners, 41 unjustly detained human rights defenders were released. Additionally, 75 human rights defenders across 20 countries received urgent support through OMCT’s rapid response mechanisms. In Tunisia, 158 torture victims received psychological, medical, and legal assistance through SANAD, OMCT’s direct assistance programme in Tunisia.

A Vision for the Future

As OMCT turns 40 in 2025, the new challenges the world is facing require, more than ever, that we work together as a universal movement. Our work would not be possible without the exceptional courage of our SOS-Torture Network members, partners, and donor community, to whom we extend our deepest gratitude. It is through the power of these partnerships that we can strive for a world where the scourge of torture is eradicated and human rights are universally respected and protected.

We will face testing times. The protection of universal values and rights will have to build on a universal movement such as the global SOS-Torture Network of the OMCT.

Let us all rise together to the challenge.