Report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in Poland in 2013 use of CCTV surveillance submitted to the Office of the Human Rights Defender by persons deprived of their liberty. The Penal Law Students’ Association “Temida”, along with the European Law Students Association ELSA, Local Group Warsaw, organised a conference entitled “Conditions of the Polish penitentiary system. Diagnosis of problems and proposals for improvement” (13 May 2013) inviting a representative of the NPM to participate. In his lecture, the NPM representative presented the main problems encountered by the NPM Team during the visits to prisons and pre-trial detention centres, which are discussed in detail in the part of the report devoted to penitentiary establishments. On 16 May 2013, a debate was held on the project entitled “Tribune of the Youth”, attended by the Ombudsman for Children, representatives of the Ministry of National Education, the Centre for Education Development, the NPM and the employees of rehabilitation centres. The discussion focused on implementation of a new project in youth care centres, consisting in appointing a Tribune of the Youth to protect the rights of juveniles placed in such establishments. On 17 May 2013, a representative of the NPM participated in the inauguration of the Polish project entitled “Mediation for the European Court of Human Rights”, initiated by the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP) – Europe.11 Mediation for the ECHR is one of the major pilot programmes initiated by the ISLP – Europe. The number of cases against Poland in the ECHR was the key argument for the ISLP – Europe decision-makers to entrust Poland with the programme. The strategic goal of the project is to relieve the Court in Strasbourg, since the number of cases adjudicated by the Court may undermine its efficient functioning. The representatives of the NPM were invited to a conference “Interdisciplinary nature of the Prison Service” on the activity of the Prison Service in terms of penitentiary activity, social readaptation and rehabilitation, as well as education of juveniles and prevention of juvenile crime. It was held on 20 June 2013 at the Pre-Trial Detention Centre in Warsaw – Mokotów and was organised by the District Inspectorate of the Prison Service in Warsaw and the PEDAGOGIUM College of Social Sciences. On 29 July 2013, the Office of the Human Rights Defender organised a conference devoted to discussing the Report of the Human Rights Defender on the activities of the National Preventive Mechanism in Poland in 2012, during which major conclusions and recommendations as to the NPM’s operation were presented. The meeting was at The organisation, established in 2010, provides the pro bono services of highly skilled lawyers to promote human rights. 11 13