Section four Looking ahead to 2015–16 The NPM has agreed three main objectives for its work during 2015–16. 1. To strengthen the protection of those in detention through coordinated and collaborative work on relevant issues. 2. To comply with the NPM mandate established by OPCAT. 3. To raise awareness of the NPM – institutionally, in the UK and internationally. To deliver these objectives, NPM members have agreed to continue to focus both on thematic work that brings a common approach to a specific detention issue, and efforts to strengthen the way the NPM and its members conduct their work. The following work has been agreed. • Continue coordinated NPM work on isolation and solitary confinement, and de facto detention. • Submit proposals and observations on existing and draft policy and legislation, in coordination and individually. • Strengthen work on children and young people in detention, mental health detention, and issues specifically relating to Scotland through its three sub-groups. • An annual peer-reviewed self-assessment of members’ compliance with specific OPCAT requirements, to feed into planning by members and across the NPM. • Propose actions to strengthen the NPM’s governance. • Adopt policies to prevent sanctions arising from NPM work. • Implement the NPM policy on ensuring the independence of its staff. • Strengthen relationships between devolved governments and the NPM. • Proactive engagement with the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. • Engagement with other UN and European bodies and NPMs on matters of mutual interest. • Raise awareness of the NPM through European networks, with NGOs and in relation to specific NPM work. • Provide training resources and information resources to NPM members. • Create a stand-alone NPM website. • Produce the annual NPM report, to be laid before Parliament. In 2015–16, the UK’s progress in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child will be reviewed by official UN treaty monitoring bodies, and a periodic visit by the European Committee for Prevention of Torture has been announced for 2016. 67