Commission to also assume the role of an NPM (National Preventive Mechanism) given the very specific role that an NPM was supposed to play – that is, to carry out visits to places of detention, to monitor the treatment of and conditions for detainees and to make recommendations regarding the prevention of ill-treatment. 35. Reacting to the concerns of the Chairperson about the independence of the Commission, a member of the Commission, Breykd Mbereck assured the delegation that it is totally independent given that it is composed of representatives from vibrant civil society organizations that have no political affiliation and cannot be influenced in any way. Another member of the Commission, Zeinebou Moussd explained that all members of the NHRC are elected officials and take an oath of office upon assumption of duty. 36. On the mandate of the Commission as it relates to monitoring conditions of detention, another member, Ms Oumou El Khaeiri pointed out that the Commission undertakes unannounced visits to prisons in Nouakchott and other parts of the country. She pointed out that the intervention of the Commission in the women’s prison in Nouakchott led to the release of thirteen inmates. She informed the delegation that there were no reports of torture in the women’s prison but, conceded that the situation in the other prisons in the country was very deplorable. She further explained that the NHRC does not have offices in the interior of the country where there are no separate prisons for women and children. She stated that since the Commission started undertaking unannounced visits to prisons in Nouakchott, the conditions of detention in those places visited have improved considerably. She lamented however, that the lack of resources have limited the impact of these visits since they are not very frequent. The member concluded that it is therefore not uncommon for the Commission to receive reports of inhuman and degrading treatment in such places of detention, especially in other parts of the country, where the Government does not seem to bother about the conditions of detention. 37. On the issue of slavery, Irabihamint Abdel Wedoud, another member of the Commission informed the delegation that many reports of slavery, which exists in many different forms, especially within the context of domestic and child labor, have been brought to the attention of the Commission. He stated that there are many laws in Mauritania that prohibit slavery but these have not been applied in practice. He emphasized the need for positive discrimination in favor of communities and individuals affected by slavery and the practical application of the anti-slavery law. 38. On the issue of the independence of the Commission, the Chairman, Mr. Baba Koita, remarked that the fact that the NHRC has an A status should be ample 15 | P a g e