COMMUNITY

On 1 October 2026, at the 11th Meeting of States Parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in Geneva, States will elect 13 of the 25 members of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), replacing those whose mandates expire on 31 December 2026. 

However, on July 16, the SPT published the list of nominees, and to date, only six nominations have been received, four of which are for the re-election of individuals who already hold the position. 

This means that there are not enough candidates to fill all the available vacancies.

We still have time to change this outcome.

The new terms begin on January 1, 2027, and the formal deadline of nominations will be on 31 July 2026, though States are encouraged to submit nominations even after this date. Submitting new nominations ensures that on October 1, when the States Parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) vote in Geneva, they will be able to choose from a broad and robust pool of candidates. This not only strengthens the SPT and its work but also has concrete impacts on hundreds of people deprived of their liberty around the world, as well as on their families and loved ones.

Why is the SPT’s work important?

The SPT is an international mechanism for the prevention of torture established by the OPCAT. This body plays a key role in preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in detention facilities worldwide. When States ratify the OPCAT, they grant the SPT the right to visit their places of detention and examine the treatment of detainees. The SPT also assists and advises government authorities on strengthening protections against torture and improving existing legislation.

The diversity of its members is particularly important. Deprivation of liberty is never neutral. Anyone entering a detention facility does so with a body, an identity, and a history, and these factors determine the risks they face and the forms of violence they may suffer. Understanding how detention conditions affect women, children, people of diverse sexual and gender identities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and Indigenous peoples—among many others—in specific ways is essential, and SPT members must have the knowledge and sensitivity to identify these risks. And this can only be achieved through a diverse and intersectional membership.

How are SPT members nominated?

OPCAT member states nominate their own nationals; all nominations are compiled and, finally, submitted for consideration by all States Parties.

The election takes place at a meeting of the States Parties, by secret ballot, from the list of candidates. Those elected serve a four-year term, renewable once if they are renominated. As mentioned before, the next election will be held on October 1, 2026, in Geneva, during the 11th Meeting of States parties to OPCAT, Geneva

Parity and current composition

The SPT is one of the few UN Treaty Bodies that has consistently maintained gender parity across successive election cycles, partly because the treaty explicitly requires States parties, when nominating and electing members, to give due consideration to equitable geographical distribution, the representation of different forms of civilization and legal systems, balanced gender representation, and the inclusion of experts with relevant professional experience.

The SPT currently comprises 13 men and 12 women. In December 2026, when 13 seats expire, 12 experts will remain. Among them, 8 are men (2 from WEOG, 2 from Eastern Europe, 2 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 2 from Africa) and 4 are women (2 from WEOG and 2 from Asia).

Of the current eight nominees, five are women (3 from Eastern Europe, 1 from Asia-Pacific and 1 from WEOG) and three are men (1 from Africa and 2 from Eastern Europe). Notably, all current women experts from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe are ending their mandates. Neither GRULAC nor Africa has put forward any women nominees so far, which underscores the importance of nominations of women from those regions.

As things stand, GRULAC and Africa risk ending up with no women representation on the SPT at all following the December 2026 elections.

The importance of increasing the current pool

The success of maintaining gender parity and geographic representation will depend largely on the number of candidatures finally nominated by Member States in the nomination process. 

The upcoming election is, therefore, an opportunity for States to preserve and consolidate the SPT’s gender parity and geographic representation. However, choosing the most qualified and diverse experts first requires a broad and diverse pool of candidates to choose from.

We call on all States parties to the OPCAT that have not yet done so -especially those from Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean- to nominate candidates as soon as possible, with attention not only to their expertise and knowledge, but also to gender balance.

What’s at stake is bigger than a seat.

It’s a strong, independent institution. It’s gender and geographic balance and the guarantee that every person deprived of liberty —whoever they are— is seen, heard, and protected