About the NPM

National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in Liberia
The National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in Liberia is an independent monitoring mechanism
being established pursuant to the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against
Torture (OPCAT). Its core mandate is to prevent torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or
degrading treatment or punishment through regular, independent, and unannounced visits to
places where persons are deprived of their liberty.

The NPM is expected to monitor prisons, police holding cells, immigration detention facilities,
military detention centers, mental health institutions, rehabilitation centers, and other places of
detention.

Through these visits, the mechanism assesses conditions of detention, identifies
potential risks of torture and ill-treatment, engages with relevant authorities, and issues
recommendations aimed at improving the treatment and protection of detainees.

In Liberia, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) serves as the focal
institution leading efforts toward the establishment and operationalization of the NPM. The
Commission has undertaken advocacy initiatives, stakeholder consultations, capacity-building
activities, detention monitoring visits, and the development of draft legislation to provide a
comprehensive legal framework for the NPM.

The establishment of a fully functional, independent, and adequately resourced NPM will
strengthen Liberia’s compliance with its international human rights obligations, enhance
transparency and accountability within places of detention, safeguard the dignity and rights of
persons deprived of their liberty, and contribute significantly to the prevention of torture and ill-
treatment throughout the country.