GENEVA 

The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) postponed its planned visits in 2025 because of a UN liquidity crisis, the subcommittee announced Thursday.

SPT Chair Maria Luisa Romero warned in a statement that the lack of funds has "paralysed operations," limiting the group’s ability to prevent torture globally.

The SPT, which monitors conditions in detention facilities through unannounced visits, announced trips to Serbia, Burundi, Mexico, Mozambique, Peru, New Zealand, France and Afghanistan in 2025.

The announcement followed the conclusion of the SPT's latest meeting where it reviewed its 2024 visits to Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The committee also met with state parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), national monitoring bodies and human rights groups to discuss collaborative efforts.

Romero urged the international community to swiftly resolve the funding crisis.

"The fact that we cannot carry out our essential work must call the most urgent attention of the international community. We urge swift resolution so that we can resume our visiting mandate," she said. "Otherwise, the collective commitment to protect people deprived of liberty from torture risks becoming an unfulfilled promise."