The Global Detention Project’s Executive Committee has unanimously elected Sahar Okhovat as its new President, replacing outgoing President Roberta Cecchetti. Sahar is a Senior Policy Officer at the Refugee Council of Australia and previously served as the Vice Chair of the detention committee for the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network and as a Humanitarian Observer […]
News & Events
GDP Hosts Third Interactive Webinar: The Role of OPCAT in Preventing Harmful Immigration Detention
On Monday 5 September, the GDP hosted the third in its series of interactive webinars aimed at building stronger connections between local civil society organisations and international human rights instruments and exploring how these instruments can be applied to protect the rights of detained refugees and migrants. Examining the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT), this webinar explored the role of the OPCAT bodies—the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) and National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs). […]

NEWSLETTER: Investigating Detention in Southern Africa + The OPCAT Webinar + New Blog
The GDP’s Summer 2022 roundup of research, publications, and events – including our latest submissions to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; news about our blog relaunch; and information about our upcoming webinar. […]

WHO: World Report on the Health of Refugees and Migrants
On 20 July, the World Health Organisation launched its first ever report on refugee and migrant health. Bringing together key evidence about the multitude of health challenges faced by refugees and migrants, the report explores the trends, gaps, and good practices in protecting and promoting the health of refugees and migrants worldwide. Key to health […]

GDP Webinar: The Many Tools of OPCAT for Preventing Harmful Migration-Related Detention
The third instalment of the GDP’s webinar series on how civil society organisations can mobilise international and regional human rights monitors to protect the rights of detained refugees and migrants focuses on the various mechanisms established by the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) that can help prevent human rights violations in migration-related detention, including the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) and National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs). […]

NEWSLETTER: OPCAT and Preventing Harmful Detention + UAE & Botswana under Review
The GDP’s June 2022 roundup of research, publications, and events – including our latest submission to the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and news of our upcoming webinar. […]

NEWSLETTER: Global Tools, Local Impact
The GDP’s May 2022 newsletter shines a spotlight on our Annual Report – “Global Tools, Local Impact” – with highlights including the launch of our new webinar series on international human rights mechanisms; expanding partnerships; and our collaborative efforts with partners to raise awareness of human rights violations in key global hotspots. […]

“AND SO ADVOCACY BECAME HEALING”: A GDP Q&A with Abdul Aziz Muhamat
Abdul Aziz Muhamat languished in detention on Manus Island for nearly six years, but throughout that time he was an indefatigable advocate for those trapped in Australia’s offshore detention system. Today, Aziz lives in Switzerland, where he was granted asylum after receiving Geneva’s prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2019. The GDP spoke to Aziz about his experiences, challenges he sees in making advocacy more effective, and his plans for the future. […]

UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW: Immigration Detention in India, Morocco, Poland, South Africa
In March, the GDP worked with partners in four countries—Poland, India, South Africa, and Morocco—to prepare submissions for the 41st Session of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR). […]

NEWSLETTER: A Tale of Two Refugee Crises
MARCH 2022 Welcome to the Global Detention Project’s roundup of current research, publications, and events. For any questions about our content, please contact us at: admin [at] globaldetentionproject [dot] org OUR LATEST PUBLICATIONS A Tale of Two Refugee Crises By Rachael Reilly & Michael FlynnInter Press Service, 7 March 2022During the 2015 refugee “crisis” that drove […]
