The success of implementing the recommendations from the NPM visits in 2017 is presented in detail in a report issued only in Slovenian, available online and in printed form. All the recommendations and responses by the competent authorities are published online.10 We have prepared an overview of the consideration or implementation of the recommendations provided by the NPM in 2017 using the received response to our recommendations, in which we considered whether the visited institution and/or the competent Ministry accepted the NPM recommendation (ü), implemented it (þ) or failed to accept it (û). When feedback was not received, we marked this with “No data” or (0), while we also need to consider the fact that individual response reports had not yet been received at the time of the preparation of this report (31 January 2018). The implementation of our recommendations will be verified regularly during our future visits to the relevant institutions. In addition to the primary, preventive effect of these visits, whose purpose is to prevent torture or other ill-treatment before it occurs, we also discovered that the living conditions and treatment of persons deprived of their liberty improved in many institutions due to our recommendations. This is also seen in the number of the already implemented recommendations from a total of 615 recommendations in 2017, i.e. 245, the 204 accepted recommendations, and the 55 rejected recommendations. We cannot overlook the repeat visit by the CPT to Slovenia at the beginning of 2017 (previously in 2012), which visited several institutions housing persons deprived of their liberty. On the basis of this visit, it provided individual observations and recommendations in its report (some of which are also emphasised in this report) which our country is obligated to consider, and to eliminate all established deficiencies, a fact which we will undoubtedly follow. We will especially follow the implementation of those observations and recommendations which coincide with ours. 1.6 International and other activities of the NPM In addition to visiting places of deprivation of liberty, the NPM is also engaged in numerous other activities, such as preparing proposals and observations concerning existing or draft Acts, preparing and giving presentations to foreign delegations or visitors, preparing replies to questions from different networks and other NPM and authorities, participating in meetings and so on. The NPM also organises discussions with representatives of individual state authorities (including ministers) and presents the Ombudsman’s actions in this field (such as press conferences, training for judicial police officers, etc.). Various forms of training and work meetings are organised for all NPM members (including participating NGOs) at which we discuss aspects of our joint operations with the NGOs. On 11 January 2017, the Ombudsman organised a meeting of all the representatives of non-governmental organisations that participate in the work of the NPM. We reviewed the activities which were implemented in the previous year and we assessed them as successful. We also discussed the work of the NPM in the future. We established the need for thematic visits, where special attention will be paid to specific aspects of the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty (e.g. the position of children and adolescents and other vulnerable groups). The meeting was followed by a consultation on communicating with people with mental health problems. A member of the NPM, mag. Jure Markič, initially presented the NPM’s experience in conducting interviews with residents of social care institutions during previous visits. The Deputy Ombudsman, Ivan Šelih, pointed out the recommended standards of the SEE NPM Network and other organisations (e.g. the CPT) for social care institutions. Representatives from the Slovenian Association for Help with Dementia – Spominčica, Alzheimer Slovenia presented dementia, how to recognise it, and how the environment treats patients suffering from this disease, which affects more than 33,000 Slovenians, and whose symptoms and consequences also affect their families, friends, and acquaintances. The consultation ended with a lecture by the NPM’s external expert, Associate Professor Dr Peter Pregelj, who presented individual psychological disorders in detail, while particularly focusing on the special characteristics of communicating with people with such a disorder. All the participants agreed that they will be able to use this new knowledge in the future work of the NPM, and when visiting social care institutions, psychiatric hospitals, and other institutions where freedom of movement is restricted. 10 See: http://www.varuh-rs.si/o-instituciji/podrocja-dela-varuha/varuh-kot-drzavni-preventivni-mehanizem/. 14 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE NPM IN 2017 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE UN CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT