Malta has made progress in preventing the torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty by setting up two national monitoring bodies in line with its treaty obligations, UN rights experts said at the end of their first official visit to the country.

However, they found that significant work still needs to be done to make these bodies fully independent and effective, in line with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture – which Malta has now ratified – and with international standards.

A four-member delegation from the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture visited Malta at the beginning of the week to provide advice and technical assistance.