The European NPM Forum brought together representatives of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) from across the region and Morocco, to strengthen their ability to prevent torture and ill-treatment in places of detention. The event created a space for open discussion, mutual learning, and exchange, focusing on how NPMs teams can work more effectively, plan strategically, and communicate their findings with impact.
Through group work, role play and lively discussions, participants shared experiences from their own monitoring visits, on how to:
- write clearer reports and craft recom
mendations that lead to real change, - communicate findings persuasively to authorities,
- engage with the media responsibly, and
- use public messaging to raise awareness while remaining impartial and credible.
Ethics ran as a common thread throughout the workshop, encouraging reflection on the moral responsibilities of NPM work and the importance of maintaining integrity and fairness in complex monitoring situations. Participants agreed that while strong institutional frameworks are essential, the real strength of an NPM lies in
- the professionalism,
- integrity, and
- teamwork of its members.
Recognising the demanding nature of detention monitoring, the workshop also addressed staff well-being and mental health, exploring
- practical approaches to stress management,
- the creation of supportive workplace cultures, and
- the establishment of systems to safeguard mental health and resilience among team members.
The European NPM Forum is implemented within the framework of the Project “Support to Council of Europe for EU network of prison monitoring bodies”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the latter.
