Rachel Mason (Gemini-North) Title: The role of the torus in AGN unification Abstract: As the cornerstone of unified models of active galactic nuclei, the dusty, molecular torus is key to our understanding of these enigmatic objects. The latest generation of clumpy torus models, combined with infrared data at high spatial resolution, is rapidly enhancing our understanding of the structure and properties of the nuclear obscuration in AGN. In this talk I will summarise the state of our knowledge of the properties of the torus, and discuss observations and theory that promise to explain the origin of the torus and the complex role it plays in unifying the various types of AGN.