Part II: Preventing torture: NHRIs in action • enact legislation asserting jurisdiction over the extra-territorial acts of torture committed by nationals and non nationals. Interrogation standards • NHRIs should promote the Minimum Interrogation Standards (MIS) developed by the ACJ and work to make sure that public officials involved in interrogations are fully informed with regard to these MIS and trained to use them effectively. Introduction A country’s legal framework provides the foundation for any effective strategy to prevent torture. This legal framework includes international treaties that the State has ratified, as well as domestic laws that it has enacted. NHRIs have an important role to play in promoting the ratification of relevant international human rights treaties. They also have a strong advisory mandate that allows them to review existing legislation, propose amendments or recommend new legislation to support the prevention of torture. In addition, NHRIs can advocate for detention procedures that meet international norms and provide effective safeguards. 1. Promoting ratification of international treaties NHRIs should review whether their country has ratified all key international treaties related to torture, and in particular: • the Convention against Torture (including articles 21 and 22) and its Optional Protocol • the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Optional Protocol. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is particularly relevant for addressing torture and ill-treatment against women and girls. Where appropriate, regional treaties should also be considered (see chapter 2 for more information). If a State has not ratified these core treaties, NHRIs can develop and pursue a strategy to promote ratification. This can include making a formal recommendation to the Government to ratify certain treaties, actively lobbying governmental and parliamentary representatives and building public awareness on the issue. Insights from practice: Since 2016, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has been collaborating with the APT, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM), the Bar Council and Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) to implement a national campaign against torture, called “ACT4CAT”. The campaign helped intensify the government’s readiness to sign the UNCAT in the near future. SUHAKAM also conducted UNCAT awareness raising campaign with key stakeholders, including the authorities, using issues such as treatment of detainees under pre-trial detention as entry points for advocacy. 45