CHAPTER 5. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION Considering the positive experience of previous years, the Commissioner continued the efficient cooperation with local, regional and international organizations according to the directions of activity. In 2017, exchange of information and experience with the state, local civil society organizations, as well as mass media, regional and international organizations, including foreign NPMs, ensuring mutual participation in conducted events, as well as organization of joint events further improved the activity in this direction. Within the reviewed period, both national and international organizations were regularly and comprehensively informed about the activity of the Azerbaijani NPM. In general, during 2017, 92 media announcements in total were issued, including 67 about visits and 25 about other activities. Totally, within 2009-2017 years 880 informational press releases were disseminated in mass media with regard the NPM activity. Press releases, NPM Reports, the information on the NPG composition, related normative acts were placed on the special division of the official website of the Ombudsman Office in the Azerbaijani and English languages. Besides placing the reports on the official web site of the Commissioner, they were also submitted to the relevant state bodies and international organizations. At the same time, the appeals and the other information addressed to the Ombudsman, including those received by 24-hour hotline, from NGOs, human rights defenders, mass media, or obtained from internet recourses or facts ascertained through direct inspection on the spot or received by the state authorities given the instructions to investigate, collected information and materials, as well as relative and quantitative indicators of the complaints were used during the visits. Moreover, the Commissioner’s representatives visited on a regular basis the persons, whose names were repeatedly indicated in press, includingthose detained or persecuted. The information related to the monitoring was released through mass media and placed on the official website of the Commissioner. In 2017, the Azerbaijani NPM further developed its relations not only with state authorities, international institutions and non-governmental organizations but also with mass media in the field of prevention of torture. 71