15–16 October 2025 – Banjul, The Gambia
Committee for Justice (CFJ) took part in the regional partners’ meeting of the United Against Torture Consortium (UATC), held on 15–16 October 2025 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center (SKDJ) in Banjul, The Gambia.
The meeting brought together around 40 participants – including survivors of torture, human rights defenders, civil society organisations, National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs), and National Human Rights Institutions – from 17 African countries to reflect on shared challenges and strengthen collective action against torture on the continent.
The United Against Torture Consortium brings together six leading international organisations in the fight against torture: the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), the International Federation of ACAT (FIACAT), the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), the Omega Research Foundation, REDRESS, and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). Since June 2023, these organisations have been joining forces – with the support of the European Union – in a common programme aimed at expanding and reinforcing the anti-torture movement at national, regional and international levels.
The work of the Consortium is structured around six core pillars:
- Rehabilitation and survivor engagement;
- Empowerment of civil society organisations and national actors;
- Development of legal and normative frameworks;
- Justice and accountability;
- Awareness-raising and public outreach;
- Crisis response.
In addition, the programme includes a dedicated initiative on a “United Front Against Torture in the Context of Protests”, focusing on preventing and addressing torture and ill-treatment during demonstrations and social movements.
Regional Meeting Focus
The regional meeting in Banjul served as a strategic platform to review two years of implementation of the UATC programme, gather feedback from African partners, and identify priorities for collective action in the coming period.
The agenda included a series of intensive working sessions, among them:
- A “World Café” session to exchange views on the Consortium’s different work streams, including movement-building, advocacy, legal work, survivor engagement and crisis response;
- An open discussion with the programme’s external evaluator to collect in-depth assessments of the Consortium’s methodology, added value and impact;
- A regional priorities session to identify key challenges and opportunities in the fight against torture and ill-treatment in African countries, with active participation from NPMs and civil society partners;
- A series of discussions under the “United Front” initiative, addressing:
- torture and ill-treatment in the context of protests;
- monitoring demonstrations and preventing violations;
- “torture-free trade” initiatives aimed at restricting trade in equipment used for torture;
- strategies to expand and protect the anti-torture movement in Africa, and to strengthen victim- and survivor-centred approaches.
CFJ’s Contribution
Ahmed Mefreh, Executive Director of Committee for Justice (CFJ), participated in the discussions and presented CFJ’s experience in:
- Documenting violations in Egypt and the broader region, including torture and ill-treatment in places of detention and during the repression of protests;
- Using UN and African regional mechanisms – such as the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and UN Special Procedures – to support accountability and access to justice;
- Developing survivor-centred approaches to documentation and support, ensuring a careful balance between the need for truth and justice on the one hand, and the safety, dignity and psychosocial well-being of victims and survivors on the other;
- Building links between the regional discussions in Banjul and the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission, to ensure that anti-torture priorities are reflected in the agenda and work of African human rights mechanisms.
Appreciation and Commitment to Continued Cooperation
Committee for Justice extends its deep appreciation to all partners in the United Against Torture Consortium – including OMCT, REDRESS, IRCT, FIACAT, APT and the Omega Research Foundation – for their leadership, coordination and sustained efforts to build a strong African anti-torture movement. CFJ also warmly thanks all participants for the rich exchanges, solidarity and mutual learning that characterised the two days of discussions.
CFJ affirms that its participation in this regional meeting represents an important step in strengthening regional and international partnerships to end torture, advance survivor-centred justice, and ensure that those responsible for this grave crime do not escape accountability – in Africa and beyond.
