4.4. Tasks and duties of separate organizational unit NPM 7. Department /Section: National Preventive Mechanism against Torture In Department/Section of National Preventive Mechanism against Torture the following tasks and duties are performed: • Visits to institutions where persons are deprived of their liberty, in order to check, i.e. control their treatment and protection against torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; • Drafting reports on performed visits to institutions where persons are deprived of their liberty (internal reports, general and thematic); • Drafting periodic and ad hoc reports, particularly annual reports on the activities and actions of the National Preventive Mechanism against Torture, treatment and situation of persons deprived of liberty, occurrence of torture and recommendations for the prevention of torture; • On the basis of performed checks, i.e. control, giving recommendations to competent state authorities for the better treatment and situation of persons deprived of liberty in order to prevent torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and act observing domestic legislation and relevant standards and recommendations of United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international organizations whose member is the Republic of Serbia; • Submitting proposals and giving opinions concerning the applicable or proposed laws related to the protection against torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; • Initiating acts of the Protector, in which laws are proposed and initiatives for amendments of laws, by-laws and other regulations initiated for the improvement of protection against torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, observing the relevant standards and recommendations of the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Union, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international organizations whose member is the Republic of Serbia; • Direct cooperation with Ombudsmen of Autonomous Provinces and associations, whose Statutes foresee the objective of association for the improvement and protection of human rights and freedoms, in accordance with law; • Direct cooperation with the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; • Cooperation with international and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights and prevention of torture, particularly through providing information to the United Nations Committee on Prevention of Torture, United Nations Human Rights Committee, United Nations Human Rights Council, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;