6 | Annual Performance Statement OPCAT Training The Commission continues to play an active role in the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) in Australia and the development of Australia’s National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) network. Signatories to the OPCAT are required to develop a national mechanism to monitor places of deprivation of liberty across the country. These mechanisms (NPMs) operate with prevention in mind, looking for systemic issues and making recommendations to address them before they become human rights violations. Australia currently has a multibody NPM consisting of oversight bodies across the Commonwealth, states, and territories. The Australian NPM is gradually developing but NSW, QLD, and VIC are yet to designate bodies to complete the NPM. In December 2023, the Commission approached the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), a Geneva-based civil society organisation with expertise in providing training to NPM’s across the world, to facilitate training for the existing Australian NPM. Commissioner Finlay and team worked with the Commonwealth Ombudsman, in its capacity as the Australian NPM Coordinator, to ensure maximum support from the Australian NPM bodies. The training workshop took place at the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman in Canberra in May 2024. The workshop brought together 31 participants representing 12 NPM organisations across Australia with passive livestreaming provided to enable participants from the New Zealand NPM to attend. An optional seminar with Sam Gluckstein (UK NPM), Rebecca Minty (ACT Inspector of Correctional Services) and Commissioner Lorraine Finlay took place at the Australian National University on Tuesday 21 May. Since the completion of the training workshop, the Commission, Commonwealth Ombudsman and the APT are developing an online platform in which the 40 training recording and related modules can be made available to NPM staff across the county and to new NPM’s as they are designated. The Commonwealth Ombudsman surveyed the training participants and reported that respondents found the training very useful and would likely attend another training workshop in the future: ‘A highlight was hearing from all the experts in the room (including speakers and participants). Main takeaway was that we have a lot of work to do to establish the framework for and methodologies, etc.’ The provision of this training aligns with the Commission’s previous finding made in the Implementing OPCAT in Australia report (2020). This report identified the ‘value of NPMs undertaking education and training on the human rights framework of which OPCAT is a part.’ It also directly responds to findings made in the Disability Royal Commission.