CAT/OP/CHE/RONPM/1 11. The Subcommittee draws the attention of the national preventive mechanism to the Special Fund established under article 26 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention. Only recommendations contained in those Subcommittee visit reports that have been made public can form the basis of applications to the Fund, in accordance with its published criteria. 12. The Subcommittee wishes to express its gratitude to the Swiss authorities and to the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture for their help and assistance relating to the planning and undertaking of the visit, in particular Sandra Imhof, the point of contact within the Commission for the Subcommittee’s visit. II. National preventive mechanism 13. Federal Act No. 150.1 of 20 March 2009 on the Commission for the Prevention of Torture, which entered into force on 1 January 2010, established the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture, designated it the national preventive mechanism for Switzerland and gave it jurisdiction over the entire territory of the State party. 14. The members of the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture are nominated by the Federal Department of Justice and Police and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, and appointed by the Federal Council. Non-governmental organizations can propose candidates to the federal departments in question. The Commission was established as a body with administrative links to the Federal Department of Justice and Police. 15. The National Commission for the Prevention of Torture is composed of 12 members, who are experts in fields related to deprivation of liberty, human rights and medicine, including psychiatry. They work part-time and are unpaid. Members of the Commission serve for a four-year term, renewable twice. The Commission has a permanent secretariat consisting of a full-time secretary, four part-time staff and an intern. Taken together, these equate to 3.7 full-time positions.1 16. In addition, the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture has a team of nine observers who are responsible for the regular monitoring of forced repatriations by air, including airport transfers carried out by the police under the country’s law on foreign nationals. 17. In accordance with the law, the National Commission for the Prevention of Torture regularly examines the situation of persons deprived of their liberty, visits the places where such persons are or may be found and makes recommendations to the competent authorities with the aim of improving the treatment and situation of such persons and preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Commission also submits proposals and comments on relevant existing laws and bills, including Federal Act No. 150.1. 18. The National Commission for the Prevention of Torture issues reports and makes recommendations to the federal and cantonal authorities after each visit. The recommendations contained in its reports are also examined by the relevant departments, including the Federal Department of Justice and Police. According to the Commission, its recommendations are generally well received by the authorities, and the majority of them are put into effect. 1 4 Switzerland, National Commission for the Prevention of Torture, Secretariat, updated 30 April 2020. Available at https://www.nkvf.admin.ch/nkvf/fr/home/die-nkvf/geschaeftsstelle.html. GE.21-03810