The main goal of the high-level conference on Istanbul Protocol implementation to take place on 21-22 September 2016 in Bishkek is to exchange on regional and international experiences and identify best practices in an effort to promote comprehensive implementation of the Istanbul Protocol.

The conference is organised by the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in collaboration with Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan and supported by a number of international and national stakeholders, including the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights (BIM). BIM co-organises three sessions dealing with legal questions of torture prevention and implementation of the Istanbul Protocol: firstly, a session on legal safeguards to prevent torture, secondly a session on effective investigation and prosecution and thirdly a session on remedies and reparation.

Other supporters of the conference are the Coalition of NGOs against Torture of the Kyrgyz Republic, Physicians for Human Rights, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, and is supported by the European Union.

Over 200 national, regional and international legal and medical experts are expected to attend.