Revision of the Commentary to the UN Convention Against Torture

In 2003 the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) funded a five year research project, which led to the publication of the first edition of the Commentary on the United Nations Convention against Torture (CAT) by Oxford University Press in 2008, as a joint work of Professor Manfred Nowak, Elizabeth McArthur and researchers from the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM). The CAT- Commentary for the first time provided an in-depth analysis of all substantive, organizational and procedural provisions of the CAT and its Optional Protocol (OPCAT). Manfred Nowak from 2004 to 2010 also served as UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, having the positive effect that practical experiences in this function inspired the ongoing academic work. The CAT Commentary is today the principal reference on the CAT, providing researchers and practitioners worldwide with guidance on the interpretation of state obligations to prevent torture and ill-treatment. However, 7 years after its first publication, the Commentary urgently needs to be revised to ensure that it will continue to serve as a useful and up-to-date guide. The Commentary will be revised by Manfred Nowak and a team of experienced researchers at the BIM to include the developments since the first edition was published. It will cover the practice and case law of the UN Committee against Torture since its creation in 1988, the UN Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Torture, the practice of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other relevant UN bodies as well as selected references to regional monitoring bodies and domestic courts. Moreover it will provide a comprehensive analysis of the academic literature and any other relevant publications on the Convention and its Optional Protocol. A comprehensive case and subject index will help the reader to get easy access to the book and provide quick references to specific countries and issues. The methodology is following the structure of the Oxford Commentaries on International Law, proceeding article-by-article, in order to facilitate the quickest reference to the reader, analysing each specific provision addressing their drafting history, case law and state practice. As was the case for the first edition it will again be negotiated with Oxford University Press to provide excerpts of the Commentary for public access. Additionally, all resource materials gathered during the drafting process will be made accessible, subject to copy right laws, on an online social bookmarking platform. This platform will be integrated into the BIMs website Atlas of Torture (www.atlas-of-torture.org). The website is already a highly useful resource for researchers and practitioners and is consulted by users worldwide. With the integration of this new platform, the website will be able to provide an unprecedented open source collection in the field of torture prevention.

Almost ten years after the first edition of the United Nations Convention against Torture A Commentary, Prof Nowak and a team of researchers working at or affiliated with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM) have worked on a new revised edition of the Commentary to be published by Oxford University Press (OUP). The Commentary is one of the most comprehensive resource tools for anyone working on the prohibition and prevention of torture. The new edition ensures that the Commentary continues to serve as a comprehensive and up-to-date guide, providing researchers and practitioners worldwide with guidance on the interpretation of state obligations to prevent torture and ill-treatment. The revised Commentary includes all relevant developments concerning the interpretation of the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT), with particular focus on the practice of the UN Committee against Torture, the Sub Committee for the Prevention against Torture (SPT) as well as the work of the UN Special Rapporteur against Torture and other UN treaty and charter bodies, human rights monitoring mechanisms, and key developments at the national level. The new edition also aims to make the manuscript and the Convention more user friendly for academics and practitioners alike. Moreover, the primary resources and materials gathered during the research will be made available - subject to copyright laws - through an online platform, thus offering an additional and accessible tool to human rights defenders and researchers in their fight against torture. The Project, entitled Revision of the Commentary to the UN Convention Against Torture is funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). It began in January 2016 and came to an end in March 2018. Persons involved: Editors: Manfred Nowak, Moritz Birk, and Giuliana Monina Contributors: Margit Ammer, Moritz Birk, Kerstin Buchinger, Nora Katona, Stephanie Krisper, Johanna Lober, Giuliana Monina, Roland Schmidt, Andrea Schuechner, and Gerrit Zach.