23 Years On, Sierra Leone Renews Efforts to Ratify UN Anti-Torture Protocol
Aaron Parker The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL), in partnership with the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) and Dignity and Prison Watch Sierra Leone, has concluded a two-day stakeholder engagement aimed at advancing the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) and establishing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leone ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) in 2001 and signed OPCAT in 2003. However, the country has yet to ratify the Protocol, more than two decades after signing it. Ratification would pave the way for establishing a National Preventive Mechanism to monitor places of detention and prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment.
The engagement highlighted the importance of strengthening Sierra Leone’s existing human rights protections, including Section 20 of the 1991 Constitution, which prohibits torture, and the 2018 Bail Regulations, which seek to prevent unnecessary and prolonged detention of persons in conflict with the law.
It also emphasised the need for effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, improved accountability, early identification of risks and stronger institutional capacity to protect the dignity and rights of people in detention.
The Head of Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights, Hon. Dr Unpha Sorie G. Koroma, reaffirmed Parliament’s role in advancing the ratification process and supporting the establishment of an independent, effective and adequately resourced National Preventive Mechanism. The Committee is expected to scrutinise relevant legal and policy frameworks, facilitate stakeholder consultations and promote the necessary parliamentary actions.
During the engagement, civil society organisations developed recommendations, which were presented to representatives from the Law Reform Commission, Sierra Leone Correctional Service, Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and Ministry of Internal Affairs for consideration and discussion.
Key recommendations included taking the necessary steps to ratify OPCAT, building on the existing Human Rights Commission as the institution to undertake the NPM’s functions, developing a clear implementation plan with specific timelines and milestones, and seeking technical expertise and capacity-building support from international and regional partners.
The engagement is expected to culminate in preventive monitoring activities in Freetown, Kenema and Port Loko as part of broader efforts to strengthen human rights protection and prevent torture and other forms of ill-treatment across Sierra Leone.