16 Establishment of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s National Preventive Mechanism Reports by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are also useful for understanding the ­prohibition against torture. access to all relevant information about persons deprived of their liberty, and information on places of detention and their locations. The NPM also needs to have access to all information regarding the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and the conditions under which they live. Integrated approach to prevention The NPM bases its work on the principle that effective prevention efforts require an integrated approach.10 The extent of torture and ill-treatment in places of detention can be influenced by a range of factors, including national legislation and the organisation of institutions, existing control and supervisory bodies and their practices, general attitudes in society, social inequality, education and financial resources. This impacts how the NPM works. Although visits consti­­tute the NPM’s most important tool, other methods for influencing and promoting change are also being developed. These are discussed further in the chapters 5-6 on national dialogue and international cooperation. Visits to places of detention The responsibilities of national preventive mechanisms are described in article 19 of the Optional Protocol. Regularly examining the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty through visits to places of detention is crucial. In order to conduct preventive visits, the NPM requires The Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT, discussed further on page 33), has developed a set of basic principles for visits to places of detention which the NPM has found very useful and has adopted as the basis for its visits.11 The principles are listed in Annex V. During visits, the NPM may conduct private conversations with persons deprived of their liberty and others the NPM considers relevant. Conversations with persons deprived of their liberty are given particular priority, and interpreters are used when necessary. It is unlawful to punish or discriminate against persons or organisations that speak with or send information to the NPM. The NPM has a duty of confidentiality. Information that may identify an individual is treated confidentially and not used in a manner that could reveal the person’s identity without consent. As a result, a methodological challenge sometimes arises in describing situations concerning just one person, or a very small group. This difficulty has been discussed with experts, other NPMs, members of the SPT and CPT, as well as the APT. The NPM staff. From the left: senior adviser Kristina Baker Sole, senior adviser Knut Evensen, head of the NPM Helga Fastrup Ervik, adviser Johannes Flisnes Nilsen and adviser Caroline Klæth Eriksen. Norway’s National Preventive Mechanism – Annual Report 2014