CAT/C/44/2* D. Issues arising from visits 33. The Optional Protocol provides that Subcommittee members may be accompanied on visits by experts of demonstrated professional experience and knowledge, to be selected from a roster prepared on the basis of proposals made by the States parties, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Centre for International Crime Prevention. To date 30 States parties have provided names and details of experts for the roster. 34. The Subcommittee hopes that experts from all regions of the world will be included in the roster. The Subcommittee still awaits the roster of experts and, in its absence, continues to select experts from the list of names proposed by States parties and from among experts widely recognized as having the required relevant expertise. During the period covered by the present report, it was not possible for delegations to the countries visited to be accompanied by independent experts owing to budgetary constraints. 35. The Subcommittee has concerns about the possibility of reprisals after its visits. Persons deprived of their liberty with whom the Subcommittee delegation has spoken may be threatened if they do not reveal the content of these interviews, or punished for having spoken with the delegation. In addition, the Subcommittee has been made aware that some persons deprived of their liberty may have been warned in advance not to say anything to the Subcommittee delegation. Article 15 of the Optional Protocol lays a positive obligation upon the State to take action to ensure that there are no reprisals as a consequence of a visit by the Subcommittee. 36. The Subcommittee expects the authorities of each State visited to ascertain whether reprisals for cooperating with the Subcommittee have occurred and to take urgent action to protect all concerned. In this regard, the existence of national preventive mechanisms is of prime importance. IV. National preventive mechanisms A. Work of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture related to national preventive mechanisms 37. The Optional Protocol requires each State party to set up, designate or maintain at the domestic level one or several visiting bodies for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (national preventive mechanisms). Most States parties have not met this obligation, as can be seen from the table below. Designation of national preventive mechanisms States parties that have designated a national preventive mechanism 30 States parties that have not designated a national preventive mechanism 21 38. Of the 21 States that have not designated a national preventive mechanism, 14 are in breach of their obligation to set up or designate a national preventive mechanism, taking into account dates of ratification and declarations made under article 24 of the Optional Protocol. 39. During its third year the Subcommittee again made contact with all States parties who were due to establish or maintain national preventive mechanisms in order to encourage them to communicate with the Subcommittee about the ongoing process of developing such mechanisms. States parties to the Optional Protocol were requested to send GE.10-41876 11