CAT/OP/TUN/2 election within the mechanism of four members from civil society to serve on the national monitoring team for places of detention. It is, however, concerned about information provided by the Government of Tunisia that memorandums of understanding between the Ministry of Justice and relevant civil society organizations would terminate once the mechanism was set up, which could seriously restrict access by such organizations to places of detention and compromise their role as monitors in preventing torture. 32. The Subcommittee emphasizes that it is important to have a number of parties working to prevent and combat torture and a variety of monitoring and oversight mechanisms at different levels. It recalls, however, the need to consider the ways in which the different bodies can coordinate and cooperate with one another to ensure that their activities are coherent and complementary and to avoid duplication. In this sense, the Subcommittee considers that the work of the mechanism should complement, rather than replace, the work done by the monitoring mechanisms already in place in the country, including those established by civil society. In this regard, it encourages the mechanism to support international and national human rights organizations in lobbying the Government of Tunisia to guarantee them continuing access to places of detention and to enable them to pursue their monitoring and oversight activities, notably by renewing the memorandums of understanding between the Ministry of Justice and the organizations in question. 33. The mechanism should work closely with civil society organizations in carrying out its functions, in particular by ensuring that visits to places of detention cover the entire national territory, but also by organizing awareness campaigns and training activities for the prevention of torture. 34. The Subcommittee recommends that the mechanism take all necessary measures to expand its network of potential partners relevant to its mandate of preventing torture, including civil society organizations, in order to ensure solid cooperation and coordination in their respective activities. In addition, civil society organizations could play a role as observers of the mechanism, monitoring and regularly evaluating its work in order to ensure that it properly carries out its mandate of preventing torture. VI. Measures to raise awareness of the national preventive mechanism and increase its visibility 35. The Subcommittee is concerned about the lack of awareness-raising measures and training programmes on the absolute prohibition on torture for law enforcement officers, prison staff, officials of the justice system, gendarmes, health professionals, members of the armed forces, representatives of relevant government bodies and non-governmental organizations, and the public. Additionally, while the Subcommittee is aware that the mechanism is a recent addition among Tunisian human rights institutions, it fears that the mechanism’s potential lack of visibility could jeopardize the implementation of its recommendations by the competent authorities, as provided for in article 22 of the Optional Protocol. 36. The Subcommittee recommends that the mechanism carry out awarenessraising campaigns and participate in training for law enforcement officers, prison staff, officials of the justice system, gendarmes, health professionals, members of the armed forces, representatives of relevant government bodies and non-governmental organizations, and the public, so as to unequivocally reaffirm the absolute prohibition on torture and to publicly make it known that anyone committing such acts, complicit in them or tacitly authorizing them will be held personally responsible before the law. The mechanism should also encourage the highest State authorities to conduct a comprehensive, public zero-tolerance campaign against torture so as to break once and for all with the practices of the past. 37. The Subcommittee recommends that the mechanism lobby the State party to ensure that it is recognized as a key player in the system for the prevention of torture in Tunisia and that it is granted the appropriate institutional visibility to carry out its GE.17-13879 9