slavery, the Prime Minister on 8 June 2019 presided over the 6th edition of the day of advocacy for the institution of a national anti-slavery day in Niger. 52. A compensation fund for the victims of and witnesses to human trafficking has been instituted but has not yet been operationalized, while reception and assistance centres for human trafficking victims have also been set up. They include that of Zinder which was the last one to be set up on 18 July 2019. The mission of these centres is to sensitize, train and educate the communities on the consequences and risks of human trafficking and migration. They provide victims with hygiene kits and entertainment materials as well as ensure reintegration through a life project. 2) Prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment 53. All forms of torture are prohibited in Niger. In fact, Article 14 of the Constitution states that “No one shall be subjected to torture, slavery, physical abuse or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Any individual or agent of the State who is found guilty of acts of torture, physical abuse or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in the discharge of his duties, either on his own initiatives or acting upon instructions, shall be punished in accordance with the law.” 54.   Similarly, Articles 208.1 to 208.4 of the Criminal Code prohibit torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Read together, these articles underscore the criminalization of the following acts: torture or the other forms of inhuman treatment, including biological experiments, and acts and omissions which are not legally justified and are likely to compromise human health and physical or mental integrity. 55. Furthermore, the lack of a specific definition of torture consistent with the Convention on Torture in the Criminal Code cannot prevent the prosecution of perpetrators of acts of torture. Cases of torture which are brought to the knowledge of the courts are reclassified for prosecution. This is particularly so for cases involving the violation of the physical and mental integrity of persons. Moreover, the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code review process is being conducted to define torture as a specific offence. A bill criminalizing torture has been formulated and is going through the processes for passage. 56. In order to make up for the lack of knowledge of the international instruments prohibiting torture and to strengthen the capacity of officers tasked with the enforcement of the law, several training sessions were organized for them. These training sessions led to a reduction in cases of torture in detention facilities. 57. Besides, Niger has domesticated the various Geneva Conventions and Protocols I and II which recommend that Member States should prohibit the subjection of a person to a medical or scientific experiment without his free consent. It is against this background that Article 208.3 on war crimes lists the serious offences which constitute war crimes punished by the provisions of the related chapter. 58. The visits organized by human rights associations to detention facilities, presence of volunteer United Nations legal officers in prison establishments and High Courts as well as the human rights training provided for Police, Gendarmerie and the National Guard officers (ensuring the custody of prisoners) are contributing to the fight against torture and ill-treatment. 24