IOI | Successful follow-up NPM workshop held in Vilnius

The IOI was pleased to continue the very successful cooperation with the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) by offering a follow-up workshop designed for Ombudsman institutions which function as National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) from 21 to 23 June 2016. The three-day workshop brought representatives of European NPMs from 17 different countries to the Office of the Seimas Ombudsman, who kindly offered to host this event.

In his welcoming remarks Seimas Ombudsman Augustinas Normantas expressed his pleasure to host this international workshop on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the OPCAT. Ombudsman Normantas welcomed the topic of the Vilnius workshop and highlighted the importance of protecting the fundamental rights of the extremely vulnerable group of persons living in mental health care institutions.

IOI Secretary General Günther Kräuter stressed the relevance of so-called “less traditional places of detention” such as psychiatric facilities or nursing homes for the elderly, as they have long been underestimated and need to come into the focus of every NPM’s attention.

Once again renowned experts from the APT led the group through this workshop, which had a special focus on exchanging experience and expertise, on exploring issues of common concern and developing skills to handle the specific challenges relating to the monitoring of psychiatric institutions.

For the first time, medical and psychiatric experts as well as an expert from the SPT, joined in to provide their knowledge and to bring their vast experience to the discussion with the participants.

The workshop as such was offered to IOI member institutions in good standing free of charge.