the Land Schleswig-Holstein, represented by the Prime Minister, in turn represented by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Integration and the Free State of Thuringia, represented by the Prime Minister, the latter in turn represented by the Minister of Justice, conclude the following Administrative Agreement: Preamble The Federal Republic of Germany signed the Optional Protocol of 18 December 2002 to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as “Optional Protocol”) on 20 September 2006. The German Federal Parliament approved the Optional Protocol by Act of 26 August 2008 (Federal Law Gazette II p. 854). The Federal Republic of Germany deposited the ratification certificate on the Optional Protocol at the United Nations in New York on 4 December 2008. The Optional Protocol came into force for the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 January2009 (Federal Law Gazette II p. 536). The Optional Protocol provides for the creation of national preventive mechanisms for the prevention of torture. Their tasks are carried out under the jurisdiction of the Länder by the Joint Commission for the Prevention of Torture in accordance with the State Treaty on the establishment of a national mechanism of all Länder in accordance with Article 3 of the Optional Protocol of 18 December 2002 to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (hereinafter referred to as “Joint Commission”), and are carried out under federal jurisdiction by the Federal Agency for the Prevention of Torture (hereinafter referred to as “Federal Agency”). The Federal Agency and the Joint Commission shall together form the National Agency for the Prevention of Torture. They shall work together in accordance with the present Administrative Agreement. Section 1 Subject-matter The subject-matter of the present administrative agreement is the cooperation between the Federal Agency and the Joint Commission within the framework of the National Agency for the Prevention of Torture. Section 2 Cooperation (1) The Federal Agency and the Joint Commission shall work together as the National Agency for the Prevention of Torture, and shall also express same in their external appearance. They shall always orientate their activities to optimally achieve the objectives of the Optional Protocol. 121