The third thematic NPM workshop took place in Yerevan on 13 and 14 October 2010. The workshop was entitled “Methodology: Preparing and planning strategies for an NPM visit”. The following issues were discussed during the workshop: gathering and analysis of information concerning places of detention, selection criteria of establishments to visit, selecting the objectives and form of the visit, composition of the visiting team and distribution of work. Much attention was paid to the involvement of non-governmental organisations’ representatives in the visits. According to experts, their participation strengthens the social supervision over places of detention and thus helps develop the civil society. Moreover, the length and frequency of visits and strategies of interviews with individuals deprived of liberty were discussed. During the workshop, an employee of the National Preventive Mechanism presented arguments in favour of unannounced visits. The Polish NPM does not notify directors of selected establishments about the visits planned in a given period. Another opportunity to exchange experience concerning practical activities undertaken during visits to places of detention by NPMs was provided by a seminar in Chisinau (Moldova), organised under the project “Eastern Partnership Countries' Ombudsman Cooperation 2009-2013”. The NPM representative provided the Moldovan party with the information concerning the organisation and functioning of the Polish Mechanism in practice and took part in a visit to one of Moldovan prisons. As part of exchanging experiences, the NPM representative took part in a seminar Public monitoring of places of detention: Experiences from EU Member States, which took place on 21-22 October in Ankara.The seminar was organised by the European Commission. Representatives of the Prison Services and the Ministry of Justice of Turkey presented the functioning of their penitentiary system. Representatives of national preventive mechanisms from Estonia, Slovenia and Poland presented the organisation and methods of carrying out preventive visits by the NPMs in their countries. The following issues were discussed: frequency of visits, composition of visiting teams, as well as involvement of the representatives of nongovernmental organizations in NPM visits. Representatives of Turkish visiting teams had a chance to pose questions to experts from the European Union Member States. On 1-2 December 2010 in Strasbourg, the second meeting of NPM contact persons took place5. It was attended by experts from SPT, CPT, APT, representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, as well as contact persons of the Mechanisms operating within the Council of Europe Member States. The first day of the conference was dedicated to discussing the state of play as regards the European NPM Project. During the meeting, the Polish representative presented conclusions and a short evaluation of the training course On-site Visit & Exchange of Experiences organized in May 2010 in Warsaw. During the second day of conference, draft measures for the next two years were discussed in detail, including the plan of training courses organized by the Council of Europe in 2010. Representatives of National Preventive Mechanisms presented their vision of cooperation between individual Mechanisms. It is also worth noting that since February 2010 the University of Padua has issued a Newsletter on NPMs, based on information on the activities of NPMs provided by individual countries.                                                              5 The meeting under the European NPM Project.