64 NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARY OMBUDSMAN National Preventive Mechanism against Torture and Ill-Treatment ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Employees from the Parliamentary Ombudsman's NPM and department 2 together with visiting Nordic colleagues outside Ila Detention and Security Prison. Nordic network In spring 2015, the NPM took the initiative to form a Nordic network of preventive mechanisms. The Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsmen, the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Finnish Parliamentary Ombudsman all have mandates as national preventive mechanisms, cf. the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. The objective is to facilitate increased cooperation, learning and exchange of information between the Nordic preventive mechanisms. The first meeting of the network took place in Oslo in June 2015. It included a visit to and tour of Ila Detention and Security Prison, with particular focus on efforts to engage inmates in long-term solitary confinement in activities. The second network meeting was held in Copenhagen in December 2015. The topic of the meeting was the conditions for foreign nationals who are to be deported, and the participants also visited Ellebæk immigration detention centre. In autumn, the NPM also visited Märsta immigration detention centre in Sweden with the Swedish preventive mechanism. The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) The SPT comprises 25 independent experts. The committee members can visit all places of detention in the states that have endorsed the Optional Protocol, both announced and unannounced visits. The SPT’s mandate is also to provide advice and guidance to