A network of stakeholders has progressively formed around the Contrôleur général, themselves taking up the questions set out in the form of public opinions and recommendations. Considerable achievements have been made. Great responsibility is thus placed upon his successor, since in this regard nothing can ever be taken for granted. For this reason, my first priority is maintenance and consolidation of the continuous presence of the Contrôle Général’s teams within all places of deprivation of liberty. On taking up my duties, I wanted to meet all the actors with which, at Jean-Marie Delarue’s instigation, the Contrôle Général has established relations of mutual knowledge and trust. I thus immediately reaffirmed our relations with the union organisations, major associations and professional representative bodies which, in one capacity or another, are concerned by the deprivation of liberty. This dialogue with all the stakeholders in the deprivation of liberty in our country constitutes an essential element of the Contrôle Général’s assigned preventive mission. Pursuant to article 1 of the Act of 30th October 2007, my term of office will come to an end on 17th July 2020. In the course of this period, we need to construct a second phase for the Contrôle Général, following on from the stage of its creation and establishment. This second stage needs to comprise two characteristics: - consolidation of existing achievements; - development of the CGLPL’s role However, before setting out these objectives, it appears necessary to recall the nature of the Contrôle général des lieux de privation de liberté, its role and its place within the institutions of the French Republic. In assessing his term of office, Jean Marie Delarue pointed out three key strengths of the institution: - independence with regard to the authorities, as well as with regard to associations and union organisations; - intransigence in its findings as well as in its recommendations, whenever fundamental rights are concerned. - openness, insofar as every report is intended to be made public, apart from exceptions provided for by law; These three key strengths need to serve as a guide for our action, both in the long term, and on a daily basis. Our mission is to ensure respect for the fundamental rights of persons deprived of liberty and to prevent violations thereof; this mission is entrusted to us by both national and international law, by means of several fundamental texts which are binding upon France, the Convention of the United Nations against Torture and the Optional Protocol thereof, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of the Council of Europe, as well as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. These conventions and treaties contain provisions which should serve us as a reference and guide, although fundamental rights are not limited to those set out in the texts. Moreover, in the first months after taking up my duties, I met with the highest authorities at Strasbourg, which contribute to ensuring compliance with these rights, in order to inform them of my will to continue the close cooperation established in the course of the first Contrôleur Général’s term of office. I shall continue these meetings throughout the year. 12