The APT returned to South Africa from 19 to 22 October in the framework of its five year programme of work in the country. APT, in a strategic partnership with the South Africa Human Rights Commission, is part of the Section 5 Committee, which includes various civil society organisations. This group undertakes to promote the ratification and implementation of OPCAT, the criminalisation of torture as well as other initiatives related to the prevention of torture and ill treatment.

The APT was invited to Bahrain from 6-7 April, in order to facilitate a workshop organized under the Patronage of the Bahraini Universal Periodic Review Steering Committee for Human Rights. The workshop, chaired by H.E Dr. Nezar bin Sadeq Al-Baharna, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with UNDP Bahrain was entitled 'The Criminalization and Prevention of Torture in Light of the Convention against Torture and its Protocol'. The event brought together officials from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs, the General Prosecution as well as other stakeholders to work on the implementation of some of the commitments that the Kingdom of Bahrain has made in the frame of the Universal Periodic Review Process of the Human Rights Council.

From 01 to 05 December, the APT, together with the South African Human Rights Commission, organized a series of activities with the aim of promoting the implementation of the UNCAT and the ratification of its Optional Protocol. These activities, which were carried out in the context of the Agreement of Cooperation between the South African Human Rights Commission and the APT, included training on monitoring places of detention and a workshop on the criminalization of torture.