CAT/OP/CRI/CSPRO/1 153. Any and all cooperation in the area of training for prison staff is clearly extremely valuable. Therefore, contact will be made with the Latin American Institute for the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders to explore the possibility of expanding the courses offered at the Training School for Prison Officers, for increased and improved human rights training. 154. In line with what has already been indicated in paragraphs 27 and 146, the Ministry of Justice and Peace is spearheading the creation of an inter-institutional reporting protocol, with a view to addressing recommendations 5, 6, 7, 12, 15, 25 and 34. On Thursday, 12 November 2020, the Ministry of Justice and Peace, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with all the institutions concerned, with a view to analysing each of the Subcommittee’s comments on this issue. 155. Representatives of the following institutions participated in the meeting: the Ministry of Justice and Peace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Public Prosecution Service, the Public Defence Service and the national mechanism for the prevention of torture. Significant progress was made by listening to and discussing each institution’s position, the progress made and each institution’s projects aimed at preventing institutional violence against prisoners. 156. A consensus was reached as to the need to welcome the Subcommittee’s recommendations and to jointly create the aforementioned protocol, with a view to resolving the issues identified and achieving the following objectives: • Instruct, train and raise the awareness of the staff of the participating institutions. • Encourage the informal reporting of acts that could constitute torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. • Ensure greater involvement of the Public Prosecution Service in taking complaints and more efficient investigations, in order to prevent impunity. • Ensure timely and good-quality medical evaluations, in line with the Istanbul Protocol. • Ensure confidential, direct and reprisal-free reporting for prisoners • Afford special protection to those suffering from mental illness and residents of the National Special Detention Centre. 157. Given the complexity of the task ahead, significant coordination and organization will be required. It may also be necessary to involve other major actors, such as the Directorate General for Migration and the Costa Rican Social Insurance Fund. Finalizing the draft protocol will assuredly be a major step forward in protecting the human rights of the prison population, and it will contribute significantly to the further consolidation of the Costa Rican social rule of law. VI. Next steps (paras. 106–110) 158. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Department of International Law and Human Rights of the Directorate General for Foreign Policy, will hold internal meetings with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Peace, as well as with the national preventive mechanism, to continue the constructive dialogue with the Subcommittee, with a view to evaluating the implementation of the recommendations arising from the report. 20 GE.20-17766