20. 16–17 May The Deputy Ombudsman, Ivan Šelih, travelled to Astana, the capital of 2017 Kazakhstan, to attend the First Forum of the National Preventive Mechanism Prevention of Torture: Kazakhstani and International Experience. The event was hosted by the Kazakhstan National Ombudsman’s Office, with support from the Council of Europe and other international institutions. The event was organised in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, promoting the Protocol and encouraging the effectiveness of existing National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM). In addition to the more than one hundred participants from Kazakhstan, the event was also attended by representatives from Central Asian institutions for the protection of human rights or NPMs, and a representative of the UK NPM. Ivan Šelih presented the current experience of the NPM in Slovenia, where its duties and powers are implemented by the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia, together with chosen non-governmental organisations. His presentation was especially interesting for Kazakhstani NPM representatives as, following Slovenia’s example, the Kazakhstani Ombudsman and representatives of nongovernmental organisations participate in the implementation of the duties and powers of the NPM. 21. 24–26 May The Deputy Ombudsman and Head of the NPM, Ivan Šelih, and the 2017 Ombudsman’s advisers, mag. Jure Markič and Robert Gačnik, travelled to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, to attend a meeting of the SEE NPM Network, where they discussed issues concerning the detention of people with mental health problems. This is an especially vulnerable group whose members can be detained in various closed institutions such as police stations, prisons, social care institutions and psychiatric hospitals, among others. The meeting was attended by all the members of the network and other representatives of National Preventive Mechanisms or institutions for the protection of human rights and international organisations. In his opening address, Ivan Šelih, the current Chair of the Network’s Legal Group, emphasised that people with mental health problems are socially marginalised and as such particularly vulnerable and helpless. Because of the difficulties that they face, they are barely able to manage to protect their own interests or write an application or appeal. Because of this, they are particularly prone to various risks and discrimination, as well as to possible abuse during detention. All NPMs are accordingly bound to ensure that these people receive appropriate and dignified treatment. The main objective of the network is to establish intensive cooperation and exchange of experience, create synergies between network members, provide assistance, and create conditions for the effective implementation of the term of the NPM. For this reason, this meeting was an excellent opportunity for exchanging experience of the treatment of detained people with mental health problems. 22. 1 June 2017 At the Celje National Home, the Ombudsman spoke to the participants of the bilateral Slovenia–Norway conference on the Development of Community Services for Managing Dementia 2014–2020, organised by the Celje Association for Research into Learning and Sustainable Development. The conference was also attended by the Ombudsman’s advisers, mag. Jure Markič, Ingrid Russi Zagožen, and Ana Polutnik. 23. 28 30 May – 1 The Deputy Ombudsman and Head of the NPM, Ivan Šelih, and the June 2017 Ombudsman’s adviser and member of the NPM, Robert Gačnik, travelled to Strasbourg, France to attend a consultation meeting of National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM) on the draft rules for the detention of migrants and the independent monitoring of the work of NPMs. The meeting was organised by the Council of Europe and the OSCE/ODIHR. 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