conformity with the Charter and with international law and standards; make recommendations to the Commission as regards communications submitted to it, by individuals who have been deprived of their liberty, by their families or representatives, by NGOs or other persons or institutions; propose appropriate urgent action. The Special Rapporteur shall conduct studies into conditions or situations contributing to human rights violations of persons deprived of their liberty and recommend preventive measures. The Special Rapporteur shall co-ordinate activities with other relevant Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups of the African Commission and United Nations. The Special Rapporteur shall submit an annual report to the Commission. The report shall be published and widely disseminated in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter. Means of implementing the mandate T he Special Rapporteur shall seek and receive information from States Parties to the Charter, individuals, national and international organisations and institutions as well as other relevant bodies on cases or situations which fall within the scope of the mandate described above. In order to discharge his/her mandate effectively the Special Rapporteur should be given all the necessary assistance and co-operation to carry out on-site visits and receive information from individuals who have been deprived of their liberty, their families or representatives, from governmental or non- governmental organisations and individuals Heads of the Prison Services, human rights non-governmental organisations, and representatives of civil society. He/she visits prisons, police and gendarmerie cells, or any other place where people are imprisoned or jailed. During these visits, the Special Rapporteur requests access to all units in the prisons: punishment cells, women or juveniles' units, sickbays, etc. He/she has confidential interviews with prisoners and discussions with prison staff and officials. Visit Reports B efore leaving the country, the Special Rapporteur has further interviews with the authorities and the Head of the Prisons Service to share and discuss her observations. He/she makes a number of on the spot recommendations on the most pressing problems. The Special Rapporteur then writes his/her report of the visit and submits it to the government of the visited country, which is then invited to make comments or observations, and describe the measures taken since the visit of the Special Rapporteur. The SR's observations and the comments by the government are then published in three of the four working languages of the AU, i.e. English, French and Portuguese. Some reports are also published in Arabic. When the comments by the government al e not received within a reasonable period of time, the report might be published without them. Countries visited by the Special Rapporteur Zimbabwe: February-March 1997. Mali: August 1997. Mozambique: December 1997. Madagascar: February 1998 (not yet published). The Special Rapporteur shall seek co-operation with States Panics and assurance from the Latter that persons, organisations or institutions rendering or providing information to the Special Rapporteur shall not be prejudiced thereby. Mali: December 1998 (2" visit). The Gambia: June 1999. Every effort will be made to place at the disposal of the Special Rapporteur Benin: August 1999. resources to carry out his/her mandate. Visits Central African June 2000. Mozambique: T he Special Rapporteur visits various countries in order to obtain in the fi eld, first hand information. He/she meets with the authorities of the country, 48 April 2001 (2'"° visit). Reports available in English, French and Portuguese. 49