Annual Report 2013–2014 The training focused on: • international standards relating to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment • the concept of torture prevention • cooperating with the international human rights system • promoting public awareness and training law enforcement officials, and • the practice of monitoring places of detention. Building on the online learning and discussions, the face-to-face workshop concentrated on planning for and undertaking preventive monitoring of places of detention. Two staff members from the NHRIs of Palestine and Jordan who have been appointed as accredited trainers of the APF assisted in the implementation of the workshop. They were supported by staff and Arabic consultants from the APT and APF. From 28 October – 1 November 2013 the APF joined forces with a number of its key partners to work on a series of programs for national stakeholders in Mongolia on implementing the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). After sustained advocacy on behalf of the Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, the Parliament of Mongolia signed OPCAT in September 2013 and it is expected to ratify the treaty within the coming year. States that ratify OPCAT are required to establish or designate an independent national body – known as a national preventive mechanism (NPM) – to conduct regular, unannounced inspections of all places of detention. In addition, States are obliged to allow an international body of experts – the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture – to conduct inspections of any places of detention in the country. Ulan Bator, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Photo by Michael Chu, reproduced under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license. 1. Enhance members’ institutional capacity | 11