ANNEX against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; b) To make recommendations to the relevant authorities with the aim of improving the treatment and the conditions of the persons deprived of their liberty and to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, taking into consideration the relevant norms of the United Nations; c) To submit proposals and observations concerning existing or draft legislation. Article 20 In order to enable the national preventive mechanisms to fulfil their mandate, the States Parties to the present Protocol undertake to grant them, a) Access to all information concerning the number of persons deprived of their liberty in places of detention as defined in article 4, as well as the number of places and their location; b) Access to all information referring to the treatment of those persons as well as their conditions of detention; c) Access to all places of detention and their installations and facilities; d) The opportunity to have private interviews with the persons deprived of their liberty without witnesses, either personally or with a translator if deemed necessary, as well as with any other person who the national preventive mechanism believes may supply relevant information; e) The liberty to choose the places they want to visit and the persons they want to interview; f) The right to have contacts with the Subcommittee on Prevention, to send it information and to meet with it. Article 21 (1) No authority or official shall order, apply, permit or tolerate any sanction against any person or organisation for having communicated to the national preventive mechanism any information, whether true or false, and no such person or organisation shall be otherwise prejudiced in any way. (2) Confidential information collected by the national preventive mechanism shall be privileged. No personal data shall be published without the express consent of the person concerned. Article 22 The competent authorities of the State Party concerned shall examine the recommendations of the national preventive mechanism and enter into a dialogue with it on possible implementation measures. Article 23 The States Parties to the present Protocol undertake to publish and disseminate the annual reports of the national preventive mechanisms. Part V Declaration Article 24 (1) Upon ratification, States Parties may make a declaration postponing the implementation of their obligations under either part III or part IV of the present Protocol. (2) This postponement shall be valid for a maximum of three years. After due representations made by the State Party and after consultation with the Subcommittee on Prevention, the Committee against Torture may extend that period for an additional two years. Part VI Financial provisions Article 25 (1) The expenditure incurred by the Subcommittee on Prevention in the implementation of the present Protocol shall be borne by the United Nations. (2) The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall provide the necessary staff and facilities for the effective performance of the functions of the Subcommittee on Prevention under the present Protocol. Article 26 (1) A Special Fund shall be set up in accordance with the relevant procedures of the General Assembly, to be administered in accordance with the financial regulations and rules of the United Nations, to help finance the implementation of the recommendations made by the Subcommittee on Prevention after a visit to a State Party, as well as education programmes of the national preventive mechanisms. (2) The Special Fund may be financed through voluntary contributions made by Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations and other private or public entities. Part VII Final provisions Article 27 (1) The present Protocol is open for signature by any State that has signed the Convention. (2) The present Protocol is subject to ratification by any State that has ratified or acceded to the Convention. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. (3) The present Protocol shall be open to accession by any State that has ratified or acceded to the Convention. 107