Act on the Optional Protocol of 18 December 2002 on the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 26 August 200838 The Bundestag has adopted the following Act with the consent of the Bundesrat: Article 1 The Optional Protocol of 18 December 2002 on the Convention of 10 December 1984 against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Federal Law Gazette [BGBl.] 1990 Part II p. 246), which was signed by the Federal Republic of Germany in New York on 20 September 2006, is herewith approved. The Protocol is published below with an official German translation. Article 2 The tasks of the national preventive mechanism in accordance with Article 3 of the Protocol shall be performed within the field of competence of the Länder by a Commission to be established by the latter, and within the field of competence of the Federation by a Federal Agency to be established by the Federal Ministry of Justice. Article 3 (1) The present Act shall come into force on the day after its promulgation. (2) The date on which the Optional Protocol comes into force for the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with its Article 28 shall be announced in the Federal Law Gazette. The above Act is herewith issued. It shall be promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette. Berlin, 26 August 2008 The Federal President HorstKöhler The Federal Chancellor Dr. A n g e l a M e r k e l The Federal Minister of Justice BrigitteZypries The Federal Foreign Minister Steinmeier 38 Non-official translation. 104