RCT - Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims

RCT’s work is rights-based and based on cooperation with local organisations in four regions:

Partnerships

RCT works with organisations in areas where people suffer from torture and organised violence. Most often, the working relationships are partnerships that stretch over several years.

RCT aims to promote ownership, mobilise resources and ensure organisational sustainability. The partnerships contribute to strengthening the partners’ professional skills regarding rehabilitation and prevention of torture and generating new knowledge.

In working with partners, the keys are equality, mutual respect, trust and transparency.

RCT chooses partners according to the following criteria:

democratic decision-making
transparent organisational structure
independence from government
independence from party politics
capacity for project implementation (documented)
administrative and political responsibility
non-profit organisation

RCT facilitates cooperation and activities involving partner organisations across regional boundaries. RCT organises meetings and workshops where partners can share knowledge and experiences of the areas of rehabilitation, documentation and prevention of torture and organised violence.

RCT also works with organisations on short-term projects outside the partnerships about short-term projects or studies and has a wide international network of resource perople.

Prevention of Torture

The foundation of RCT’s international prevention work is the UN Convention Against Torture (1984) which states that no man may be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Furthermore, RCT bases its work on a series of international and regional conventions and declarations.

The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) of 2006 establishes a system of independent international and national visiting mechanisms to inspect police stations, prisons and other places of detention.

RCT works internationally to promote the signing, ratification and implementation of the OPCAT.