GENEVA - UN torture prevention experts will visit Paraguay from 25 October to 3 November 2026 to assess measures taken by the authorities to strengthen anti-torture safeguards since their previous visits, and to examine their impact on protection of people in detention.
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will undertake its third visit to Paraguay, following an initial visit in 2009 and a follow-up mission in 2010.
"We return to Paraguay in the constructive spirit that guides the work of the SPT," said Marco Feoli Villalobos, Head of the SPT delegation.
The SPT delegation will visit places where people are or may be deprived of their liberty, and conduct confidential interviews with detainees, other people deprived of liberty, and staff working in these facilities. Particular attention will be paid to the implementation of the Subcommittee's recommendations following its 2010 visit, as well as to developments and challenges that have emerged since then.
The delegation will also meet with Paraguayan authorities, the national monitoring body known as the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) and other stakeholders to assess the progress made by the authorities in preventing torture through legislative, policy, administrative and other measures. Where appropriate, the delegation will also conduct joint visits with the NPM.
"Sixteen years have passed since our last mission. This is an important opportunity not only to examine conditions in places of detention and other facilities, but also to foster an ongoing dialogue with the authorities, civil society and other stakeholders," Feoli Villalobos said.
"We aim to contribute to a shared effort to prevent torture and protect the rights of people deprived of their liberty in settings as diverse as psychiatric hospitals, State-run juvenile detention centers, and penal institutions, among others," he added.
Paraguay ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in 2005 and in 2011 established its NPM, which is functionally independent and comprises six commissioners and a technical team. Under its mandate, the SPT may conduct visits to States Parties and carry out unannounced visits to any place where people are or may be deprived of their liberty.
Following the visit, the SPT will share a confidential report with the State Party, containing its observations and recommendations. The report will remain confidential unless and until the Paraguayan Government decides to make it public, as was the case with the reports following the 2009 and 2010 visits.
The SPT delegation will comprise Marco Feoli Villalobos, Head of delegation (Costa Rica), Marie Brasholt (Denmark), Carmen Comas-Mata (Spain), and Juan Pablo Vegas (Peru). The experts will be supported by two members of the Secretariat.
