OMCT research has demonstrated the strong links betweenfailure to respect economic, social and cultural rights and violence, includingtorture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, summary or arbitraryexecutions, forced disappearances, violence against women and violence againstchildren. And it has also shown that acting on those root causes can reduceviolence.

Objectives

The principal objective of the AsianRegional Seminar is to help NGOs prepare action files for submission to the UNor other organisations, and/or elements for inclusion in alternative reportsfor submission to UN Treaty Bodies containing recommendations for practicalaction to stop or prevent torture and other forms of violence by dealing withtheir economic social and cultural root causes. An important objective for OMCTis to build partnerships with NGOs to work together on these issues over thelong term. The seminar, in particular, will seek to:

• help NGOs understand the various ways violations of economic, social and cultural rights are linked to violence and how acting on those root causes can reduce violence;
• help NGOs to develop their own capacity to address the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence
• identify how action on the root causes of violence could relate to the specific circumstances of the participants’ countries;
• assist participants in preparing action files for submission to the UN and other organisations;
• assist participants in preparing elements for including in alternative reports to UN Treaty bodies and in submissions to other institutions (for example the European Union) containing information on the link between the denial of economic, social and cultural rights and torture along with recommendations for specific action;
• and identify new and emerging issues for attention.

Methods of work

The seminar’s work will be built principally around a discussion and refinement of draft action files or elements for alternative reports prepared in advance by each participant in order to ensure that the participants leave the seminar with practical action to take on returning home. Particular emphasis will be placed on the potential for human rights and development NGOs to bring about change through collaborative projects. In addition, participants will be encouraged to exchange experiences and challenges and describe the methods that they have used to address the seminar’s issues.

Selection of participants

Eighteen representatives from Asian NGOs will be selected to participate. Nominations are invited from members of OMCT’s SOS-Torture Network and other NGOs working closely with OMCT. Nominations are also invited from NGOs active in the fields of economic, social and cultural rights and development that wish to address the economic, social and cultural root causes of violence from their own perspective. Organisations combating torture and those working for economic, social and cultural rights and development may wish to submit joint nominations (2 participants) with a view to working together in the future on these issues.

Organisations wishing to nominate a participant are requested to provide a short explanation of the relevance of participation in the seminar to their work and to explain what the organisation could bring to the seminar’s discussions. The participants selected to take part in the regional seminar must prepare and submit in advance of the seminar a 5 to 10 page paper addressing the economic, social and cultural root causes of torture and other forms of violence in their country. This paper should include the elements for an action file or for elements for inclusion in an alternative report; joint approaches by human rights and development NGOs are encouraged. The annexes to this note provide information on these issues and further guidance is available on request from OMCT.

Submitting nominations

If your organisation would like to nominate a participant, please submit the nomination on the form below to OMCT before 17 August. Participants who have been selected will be informed by 15 September.

Practical information

OMCT will cover travel costs (including visa fees) and living expenses in accordance with OMCT’s established practice. The seminar will be conducted in English. Nominations should be sent by email to Tom McCarthy (tmc@omct.org) and Lisa Knox l.knox@int.omct.org or by fax to +41 22 809 49 29

Geneva, 23 July 2009

[1] See www.omct.org for the reporton the African regional Seminar, Maputo, Mozambique, 7 – 11 May, 2008

[2] See the OMCT publication “Attacking the RootCauses of Torture, Poverty, Inequality and Violence: an InterdisciplinaryStudy” (Geneva, September2006), and the Report of the International Conference “Poverty, Inequalityand Violence: Is there a Human Rights Response?” (Geneva, 4 to 6 October 2005)both available at www.omct.org.