Protecting children deprived of their liberty from torture, inhuman or degrading treatment is a collective effort. It requires the involvement not only of national and international preventive mechanisms but also of human rights institutions such as Children Ombudsmen, members of Parliament, members of the judiciary, civil society actors and researchers. Given the importance of their role in the prevention of ill-treatment, bodies carrying out monitoring tasks must do so professionally. This requires a proper visiting methodology, knowledge of the standards, and an understanding of the issues affecting children, as well as the necessary skills, sensitivity and awareness to interview children about their experiences. Hence the importance of this Guide. It has been developed taking into account the practical experience of a number of national and international bodies and drawing on the experience of experts working in the field. The Guide aims to assist and strengthen the capability of monitoring bodies to effectively carry out a visit to an establishment holding children, elaborating a step by step approach with practical tools providing direction on the way in which a visit should be organised and which issues should be examined. In my opinion, this Guide should be part of the toolkit of every organisation intending to undertake an effective monitoring visit of any establishment detaining children. Mykola GNATOVSKYY President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) 7