3 – THE NATIONAL AGENCY IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT At the international level, the National Agency engages in a regular exchange with numerous other mechanisms for the prevention of torture. cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. To that end it has essentially the same powers as the NPMs. Secondly, it may also conduct visits to support the States Parties in setting up their NPMs and to offer them training and technical assistance. 3.1 – WORLDWIDE TORTURE PREVENTION The very first preventive mechanism worldwide was the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), inaugurated by the Council of Europe. It was established under the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which came into force on 1 February 1989. The CPT last visited Germany in 2015 and published its 3 corresponding final report in 2017. The OPCAT entered into force on 22 June 2006. At the end of 2017, the OPCAT had 100 signatory states 4 and had been ratified by 86 states. Of these 86 States 5 Parties, 65 have already designated an NPM. Three different models were employed to establish a mechanism. In the first model, the remits of existing ombudsman institutes were extended to include tasks concerning the prevention of torture (e.g. in Sweden, Austria and Spain). In the second model, various existing monitoring mechanisms were combined to create an NPM (e.g. in the United Kingdom). A third group of states, including France, Germany and Switzerland, set up new national preventive mechanisms. In addition to the NPMs as national institutes, the OPCAT also established the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) to operate on an international level. It comprises 25 members, which are nominated and elected by the States Parties. Since 2012, the subcommittee has been divided into four regional sub-working groups. The SPT may visit the States Parties for two reasons: Firstly, it may visit places of detention in the States Parties with the aim of making recommendations regarding protecting people deprived of their liberty against torture and other 3.2 – THE NATIONAL AGENCY’S INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES The National Agency’s exchange with partner organisations, particularly those at Council of Europe level, and its participation in a number of international events of the NPM network were of great importance once again in 2017. One of these events, which took place in early 2017, was the consultation meeting to discuss the establishment of the so-called NPM Observatory, an advisory body for NPMs established the previous year. Furthermore, the National Agency also participated in the launching of the EU Network of NPMs and in consultations on the development of European guidelines governing custody awaiting deportation and custody to secure departure, which took place in Strasbourg. With discussions on how to measure the effectiveness of NPMs' work and their part in the setting of standards, two further important topics were covered in the framework of the NPM Network. Lastly, the National Agency received the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent at its secretariat in Wiesbaden. During their visit to Germany, the UN experts examined whether people of African descent face racism, discrimination or xenophobia in the Federal Republic of Germany and which measures Germany is taking to prevent this. The treatment of these people in detention is also important in this context, which is why the experts discussed their findings in this area with the 6 National Agency. At the invitation of Germany, the annual exchange of NPMs from Germany, Austria and Switzerland took place in Berlin this year. The regular exchange primarily serves to provide a platform for discussion and to enable the further development of standards. 3 CPT/Inf (2017) 13. As at 22/12/2017, URL: http://indicators.ohchr.org/ (retrieved on 22/12/2017). 5 As at 31/12/2017, URL: https://apt.ch/en/opcat-database/ (retrieved on 31/12/2017). 4 6 Country Report A/HRC/36/60/Add.2 and comments by the Federal Government A/HRC/36/60/Add.4, URL: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions /Session36/Pages/ListReports.aspx (retrieved on 19/04/2018). 12