22 In the adopted budget of the Protector of Citizens for 2013, the amount of RSD 7,236,267.30 (approximately € 60,302.00) was earmarked for the activities of the NPM. In 2014, the staff entrusted with NPM duties used two offices in the building allocated to the Protector of Citizens. They also used a van to transfer the members of the visit team. The staff entrusted with NPM had at their disposal all necessary office equipment and supplies. 4.3. Special NPM unit and its functional independence In late 2012, the reactive duties of responding to complaints of persons deprived of liberty conducted at the Secretariat of the Protector of Citizens had been separated from the proactive duties involved in the prevention of torture. This resulted in the de facto formation of a separate organisational unit of the NPM, managed by an operational manager reporting to the Protector of Citizens or a Deputy designated by him. In order to work effectively, the NPM needs to have a sufficient number of employees with the required knowledge in the field of prevention of torture. In 2014, the Secretariat of the Protection of Citizens had three employees assigned to work on NPM duties. Of those three, two are employed indefinitely, while one is on a fixed-term employment contract. The understaffing issue prevents the NPM from exercising the full scope of its duties, which will affect the efficiency of the fight against torture in the Republic of Serbia. 4.4. Participation of Provincial Ombudsman in NPM activities In accordance with the signed Memorandum on Cooperation, in 2014 the Protector of Citizens continued cooperating with the Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Provincial Ombudsman) in visits to places of detention in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. In March 2014, the Protector of Citizens, in cooperation with the Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and the OSCE Mission to Serbia, organised a dialogue with representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and police administrations in the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. In December 2014, the Protector of Citizens, the Provincial Ombudsman and the OSCE Mission to Serbia organised a round table titled “Role of National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in Prevention of Torture, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment of Persons with Metal Disorders”. The round table was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Secretariat for Health Sector, Social Policy and Demography, psychiatric hospitals and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2014, representatives of the Provincial Ombudsman participated in 21 visits to institutions where persons deprived of liberty are placed. The Provincial Ombudsman systematically monitored the position of persons placed in care homes for elderly and gerontology centres and for that purpose visited 4 institutions. 4.5. Participation of the Civil Sector in NPM activities Acting in the capacity of the NPM under the Agreement amending the Agreement on Cooperation with Associations, in 2014 the Protector of Citizens continued his cooperation with non-governmental organisations, including: the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights (in the field of use of police powers and treatment of asylum-seekers), the Committee of Human Rights Lawyers (in the field of detention), the Helsinki Committee in Serbia (in the field of enforcement