5.1. Planning and preparing the visits took into consideration the size and capacity of the selected place of detention, as well as the gender and age composition of the persons deprived of their liberty when selecting the members of the delegation. In addition to maintaining gender balance, I also tried to ensure multi-disciplinarity and involve experts in the field of the protection of national and ethnic minority rights when setting up the visiting delegations. To perform the tasks related to my general activities aimed at protecting fundamental rights, my Office employs mainly public servants with a law degree. Whenever necessary, lawyers from other organizational units, possessing the professional knowledge required for conducting an effective visit to the place of detention concerned, also participated in the visits. In addition to lawyers, medical, psychological, educational, and dietitian experts also participated in the NPM’s visits in 2018. 5.2. Conducting the visits 5.2.1. Access to places of detention, proving the mandate to proceed Pursuant to Article 20 b) and c) of the OPCAT, the NPM shall be granted access to all places of detention and their installations and facilities, and to all information referring to the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty as well as their conditions of detention. When acting within the powers of the NPM, as Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, I may proceed without any restriction. When proceeding in person, I notify the management of the place of detention and the detainees held therein that I am proceeding within the competence of the NPM. When performing the tasks related to the NPM through my authorised colleagues, they also shall have the rights pursuant to Sections 21, 22 and 26, Subsection (1) of Section 27, and Section 39/B, and the obligation for cooperation pursuant to Section 25 shall be complied with also in their respect.83 My public servant colleagues possess investigator ’s photo ID cards issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, displaying their names as well as their official positions. Upon arriving at the place of detention, the members of the visiting delegation introduce themselves and inform the management and the detainees that they are proceeding in order to perform tasks related to the NPM’s mandate. They announce the purpose of the visit, present their investigator’s photo ID cards and hand 83 See Section 39/D(1) of the Ombudsman Act. 45