security force, it is also under the Ministry of the Armed Forces. In attendance at this meeting was the Secretary-General of the Ministry. I am much obliged to officials of this Ministry who drove us from the meeting to our hotel. Meeting with NGOs t about 3 pm. On 30 November I had a meeting with members of nongovernmental organisations, notably Malian Association of Human Rights (MAHR). The meeting was followed immediately by an interview which a former inmate granted to me. Twenty-five people attended the NGO forum, and the room for the meeting was filled to the brim. They included: Mr. Moustapha S.M. Cisse, Founding Member and Chairman since March 1998 of MAHR. Ms. Diko, MAHR Bamako, Social Affairs. Three other representatives of MAHR Bamako. Chairperson of MAHR sections in Gao, Koulikoro, Kidal, Tombouoctou, Sikasso, Kayes, Mopti and Segou. - Mr. Modibo Tiam, ICRC Bamako. - Mr. Coulibaly, Deputy Chairperson of the Malian Red Cross. Representative of GRPDR (Groupe de Reflection pour la Popularisation du Droit en Milieu Rural). Ms. Celine Rousselin, Balemaya Association. - Ms. Bernadette Camara, Kanuya and BICE (Bureau International Catholique pour l'Enfance). - Mr. Ladi Samaka, Clinique Juridique DEME-SO. - Mr. Adama Sanogo, Malian Association for Development (ADAME), First Deputy Chairperson of the African Prisons Association. - Representative of Association du Sahel d'Aide a la Femme et a L'Enfant (ASSAFE). - Representative of ENDA Tiers Monde. - Maitre Lakdaf, Amnesty International, Mali. - Representative (Rep) of iEuvre Malienne d'Aide a la Femme et a l'Enfant (OMAFES). A 10 - Rep. of Convention pour la Vulgarisation du Droit au Mali (CVDM). - Representative Of Association pour le Progres et la Defense des Femmes au Mali (APDEF). - Two ex-prisoners. After a brief statement about the African System for the Protection of Human Rights, I encouraged the NGOs to get involved in prison work. Copies of the Report on the first visit to Mali Prisons and a booklet detailing the activities carried out by the Special Rapporteur and his Mandate which was compiled by PRI were distributed to the participants. That it was the visit of the Special Rapporteur which should bring NGOs together was a matter both of regret and joy, it was voiced out, as had been done on my previous visit. Some time was spent on how co-operation among NGOs could be achieved. I suggested that the framework for such a link should be reduced into writing. Common projects and joint fund raising should be an objective, I added. It was agreed that a network of Malian NGOs would be created. Two problems in the prison regime which were identified were long remand and the need for sick inmates to be transferred to hospital. The latter difficulty was illustrated by the refusal of a judge to order the transfer to hospital of a sick prisoner after one of the participants had secured a bed in the hospital for the inmate. One of the two former prisoners pointed out that the existence and work of MAHP, were not known to most prisoners. How the needy could have access to it should be publicised. Ms. Diko responded that there were plans to introduce MAHR to inmates in prison. Statements were made about particular prisons. Segou MAHR supplied medicine to the prison. An NGO contributed in bringing water to the prison. It also emptied a septic tank and a French NGO renovated the juvenile wing of the prison. Gao Prisoners used to have one meal a day, but they were currently having two, partly as a result of the efforts of NGOS: they discussed the need for the improvement with the Registrar and Prosecutor. Juveniles share cells with adult prisoners. It does not have a sickbay. Because the wall around the prison 11