A/HRC/23/18 Annex IV [English only] Regional consultation for Europe on enhancing cooperation between United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms on prevention of torture and protection of victims of torture, especially people deprived of their liberty Geneva, 15 and 16 December 2011 Conclusions Participants to the regional consultation included a member of the Committee Against Torture, a member of the Sub-committee on the Prevention of Torture, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the President, as well as the Deputy Executive Secretary of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), the manager of the NPM European Project of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, a representative of the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the Head of the Human Rights Department of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Indonesia Representative and Chair of ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission of Human Rights (AICHR), staff of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), representatives of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs), National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from the region, and civil society organizations. The aim of the regional consultation was to identify concrete means and ways of cooperation between the United Nations and European Human Rights Mechanisms on the fight against torture and other ill treatment, taking into account key areas identified during the International workshop on cooperation between international and regional human rights mechanisms held in Geneva in 2010 (A/HRC/15/56), namely: sharing of information, possible joint activities and follow-up on recommendations by human rights mechanisms, as well as the role of NPMs and civil society organizations. Participants discussed and suggested to develop means and tools of cooperation including: 1. Information sharing • Considering the importance of access to information for the prevention of torture and the protection of victims of torture, the participants discussed and to a large extent agreed on the need to share information between United Nations and European mechanisms on torture, taking into account their respective confidentiality clauses, if applicable. • United Nations and European human rights mechanisms on torture a could advocate with States to share relevant reports of the CPT with the SPT and vice-versa in a a 34 The term “human rights mechanisms on torture” used in this document includes mechanisms related to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.