26 5.4. Recommendations for remedying the identified shortcomings In the reports on visits to places of detention, the NPM issues recommendations for remedial action to the competent authorities. In the course of 2014, the NPM issued 345 recommendations for remedial action to the competent authorities. Each recommendation includes a reference to the facts found and the identified shortcomings and lists the relevant regulations and standards with which the visited facility or the competent authority needs to comply. The reports have been submitted to the visited facilities and the ministries in charge, together with an invitation to a meeting in order to consider the possibilities for implementing the recommendations contained therein. All recommendations issued to the visited institutions can be found in ADDENDUM I to this Report. 5.5. Establishing dialogue with government authorities To ensure full compliance with the recommendations set out in the reports of the visits, in 2014 the NPM continued the ongoing dialogue with the Ministry with the Ministry of Interior and to the visited police administrations68. The aim of this dialogue was to improve the police treatment of persons deprived of liberty, prevent torture and improve the treatment of asylum-seekers and irregular migrants. Furthermore, the NPM has engaged in dialogue with the Ministry of Health, the Provincial Secretariat of Health, Social Policy and Demography, the Ministry of Interior and the visited psychiatric hospitals69 in the field of mental health and deinstitutionalisation, more specifically the formation of special community-based units. The NPM holds periodic meetings with the visited facilities and the Ministries in charge in order to review the recommendations and the current level of compliance with the applicable standards against torture, with a view to devising ways of ensuring implementation of the recommendations and compliance with the standards. These meetings focus on complex problems in the functioning of the facilities which cannot be adequately addressed internally or by individual efforts and require cross-departmental cooperation, in which case the NPM acts as an intermediary in the efforts to address the issues. 5.5.1 Review of NPM’s Report by the National Assembly The National Assembly reviewed the 2013 Annual Report of the National Preventive Mechanism for the first time. The parliament found the Report to be detailed and comprehensive, with an exhaustive presentation of activities aimed at improving the situation with regard to the status of persons deprived of liberty and creation of a torture-free society, with full respect for the dignity and rights of all persons whose freedom of movement is restricted. The National Assembly adopted by a majority vote the Conclusions70 in which the parliament ordered the competent authorities to comply with the recommendations of the Protector of Citizens and to report on the outcome to the National Assembly by 31 December 2014. According to the information available to the Protector of Citizens, the competent authorities have not done as instructed. the Police Administration of Šabac, the Police Administration of Smederevo, the Police Administration of Novi Sad, the Police Administration of Zrenjanin, the Police Administration of Pančevo, the Police Administration of Sremska Mitrovica, the Police Administration of Sombor, the Police Administration of Subotica, the Police Administration of Kikinda, the Police Administration of Novi Pazar and the Police Administration of Prijepolje. 69 Special Psychiatric Hospital “Sveti Vračevi” Novi Kneževac; Special Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. Slavoljub Bakalović” Vršac and Special Psychiatric Hospital Kovin. 70 Official Gazette of RS, No. 114/14. 68