Part II: Tools for an effective follow-up and implementation 2.5 International cooperation 2.5.1 Cooperation with other NPMs Cooperation among NPMs in Europe has been useful to exchange ideas on common issues of concern, working methods and institutional practices. Multilateral and bilateral exchanges have increased over recent years, including joint workshops, conferences and visits as well as an NPM newsletter to share views on specific challenges encountered. The consulted NPMs recommended extending these and using them to exchange on follow-up procedures as well as comparative measures for the prevention of torture that can inform the development of recommendations and plans for their follow-up and implementation. As personal meetings between NPMs are not always easy to organise and take quite some time they also expressed the need for an online forum for an easy, permanent exchange and documentation of relevant information. During the Project workshops the European NPMs emphasised the usefulness of a peer-to-peer exchange for their work and mentioned several good examples of multilateral and bilateral cooperation. The South-East Europe NPM Network (SEE Network) is one example of multilateral cooperation, which evolved out of a CoE NPM Project that brought together and fostered a European NPM Network financed by the EU and the CoE. The NPM Network Project held thematic meetings every two months, joint onsite visits, annual NPM Heads and Contact Persons’ meetings and issued a bi-monthly NPM Newsletter from 2009/2010 to 2012.215 A strand of the Project remains in action, namely the bi-monthly European NPM Newsletter, sent to all CoE region NPMs and a wide circle of interested third parties including the SPT, CPT and many NGOs.216 It gives updates on the developments and news from the CoE region NPMs – as well as providing a platform whereby NPMs can pose questions to each other on particular challenges encountered and seek peer advice. Related networks, such as the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI), have also been said to influence the NPMs’ work.217 Furthermore, the NPMs in the Nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway) engage in lively exchange on best practises and their work in general. Some NPMs also retain active bilateral exchanges with other NPMs in Europe, or share annual reports. For example there have been meetings between the Austrian and German as well as the Swiss NPM and joint visits were conducted by the Czech and the French NPM in France and the Czech Republic; the UK and the French NPM in France and in the UK; as well as joint visits between the Swiss, Dutch NPMs and HMIP, one body in the UK NPM. The NPMs at the workshop described their experience with networks and exchanges as very positive, and stated that they could also be used to share experiences on follow-up practices and specific thematic topics in order to learn about good practices for the prevention of torture in other states. These could then help the NPMs in their dialogue with the authorities in order to propose concrete solutions from a comparative perspective. Thus, most consulted NPMs expressed the wish for more exchange and coordination including with NPMs beyond Europe. As personal meetings require considerable organisation and resources, NPMs at the Vienna and Bristol workshops proposed the establishment of an online-based forum of exchange between NPMs and international actors as this would not require the resource-intensive attendance at meetings. In addition in multibody NPM structures, it was also noted that there was a need to ensure cooperation and exchange of information, including recommendations, across these various bodies to ensure joined214 See also BIM, Official opinion regarding the establishment of the NPM submitted to Parliament on 4 July 2011 <http://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/VHG/XXIV/SNME/SNME_06859/imfname_224762.pdf>. 215 See CoE website <http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/capacitybuilding/npm_newsletter_en.asp>. 216 See CoE website < http://www.coe.int/t/dgi/hr-natimplement/npm_newsletter_en.asp>. 217 For more information the IOI’s website <http://www.theioi.org/>. 214 - 74 -