CAT/C/MDG/CO/1 National human rights institution 14. The Committee regrets that the political crisis of 2009 prevented the appointment of members of the National Human Rights Council, and that the Council has been unable to function since its establishment in 2008 (arts. 2, 12, 13 and 16). The State party should ensure the effective and independent operation of this institution by allocating the human resources and funding it needs to fulfil its mandate, which in particular involves the investigation of allegations of torture and ill-treatment. The Committee encourages the State party to request technical assistance from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that the institution complies with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights set forth in the annex to General Assembly resolution 48/134 (the Paris Principles). Hostage-taking of relatives 15. The Committee deplores the fact that women have allegedly been arrested and detained in order to force their husbands to turn themselves over to the police (arts. 12 and 16). The State party should put an end to the practice of taking relatives of suspected criminals hostage and should expedite investigations with a view to punishing those responsible. This practice is a grievous violation of domestic law and the fundamental principles of human rights. Prisoners on death row and capital punishment 16. While noting that the State party has applied a de facto moratorium on the death penalty by systematically commuting death sentences to prison terms, the Committee regrets that the moratorium has not been given formal expression under the law (arts. 2, 11 and 16). The State party should maintain the de facto moratorium on the use of capital punishment and consider passing a law systematically commuting death sentences to prison terms. The Committee would like more information addressing reports that death sentences continue to be handed down and concerning prison conditions on death row, the amount of time it generally takes to commute death sentences to prison terms, the treatment of convicts sentenced to death and the right of such convicts to receive visits from family members and their lawyers. The Committee also encourages the State party to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. Training 17. While noting that human rights training sessions have been organized, the Committee regrets the failure to assess the impact of that training in terms of the improvement of the human rights situation, as well as the lack of specific training in methods for detecting the physical and psychological sequelae of torture (art. 10). The Committee recommends that the contents of the Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Istanbul Protocol) be incorporated into forthcoming training sessions for law enforcement and medical personnel and be circulated among prison and medical personnel. The State party should also assess the impact and effectiveness of these training programmes. 6 GE.11-47941