OSCE meeting in Vienna explores action necessary to end impunity and eradicate torture

VIENNA, 28 June 2026 – Leading OSCE officials highlighted the importance of leveraging co-operation to strengthen the implementation of commitments to prevent torture and ill-treatment at the opening of a two-day event in Vienna today. 

Over the course of three sessions, the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting (SHDM) will bring together some 350 participants representing governments, international organizations and civil society. Discussions will focus, respectively, on three broad themes: safeguards and accountability, prevention, and ensuring justice for victims.

“Torture is absolutely prohibited at all times and can never be justified under any circumstances,” Ambassador Raphael Nägeli, Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, said in his opening remarks on behalf of the Swiss Chairpersonship. “We all have a role to play to ensure continued progress towards the eradication of torture and other forms of ill-treatment. To achieve this, we need to close the still persistent accountability gaps, as impunity itself is a breeding ground for new acts of torture. As a practical contribution to these efforts, the Swiss Chairpersonship is developing a Roadmap on the Prevention and Eradication of Torture to support the implementation of OSCE commitments in this field and, in particular, of the Tirana Decision.”

In Tirana, in 2020, the OSCE participating States committed themselves to a set of measures aimed at the prevention and eradication of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

“There is a clear and shared responsibility to ensure that the absolute prohibition of torture is upheld not only in law, but also in practice,” said Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). “Achieving this calls for sustained political will, strong institutions, professional training, independent oversight, and effective accountability mechanisms. It also requires close co-operation among governments, international organizations, monitoring bodies, civil society, legal professionals, medical experts, and others who contribute to torture prevention efforts.”

Individuals are at heightened risk of torture and ill-treatment during arrest and police custody, particularly where safeguards are weak and criminal justice systems rely heavily on confessions. The first session will explore ways to ensure the effective implementation of protections such as access to lawyers and medical personnel, the adoption of rights-based interviewing practices that reduce the risk of coercion, and robust judicial oversight and accountability mechanisms.

Torture and ill-treatment can also occur where detention and law enforcement systems lack proper training, safeguards and independent oversight. The second session will focus on strengthening human rights training for police and detention staff, ensuring detainees have access to lawyers and family members, prohibiting secret or incommunicado detention, and improving accountability mechanisms and co-operation among authorities, independent monitoring mechanisms and civil society. 

Perpetrators often enjoy impunity, including as a result of poor investigations, with victims having limited access to justice or rehabilitation. The Meeting’s final session will examine ways of ensuring effective investigation and prosecution, stronger accountability mechanisms, and protection for medical and legal professionals involved in documenting abuses.

SHDMs provide a platform for OSCE participating States, OSCE institutions, international organizations and civil society to exchange views and share good practices in order to find common solutions for the challenges facing societies across the OSCE region. 

Today’s event is the third and final SHDM organized by the Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship with the support of ODIHR in 2026.