PART I – ORGANIZATION OF WORK OF THE NMPT IN 2020 2020 was the 13th year of performing, by the Commissioner for Human Rights, of the tasks of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture. That year, the NMPT activities were marked by the coronavirus outbreak which brought major challenges for the Mechanism. Because of the need for precautionary measures, the Commissioner took the decision to suspend physical on-site visits. In their place, the NMPT representatives conducted remote visits. They consisted in speaking, via an internet communicator, with selected persons deprived of their liberty, and selected employees of a given place of detention. The talks were followed by an analysis of the information on the operation of the place in question. The solution, practised also by the national preventive mechanisms from other countries, has ensured the exercise of the right to conduct interviews with individual persons deprived of their liberty, without the presence of third parties, which right arises from Article 20(d) of the OPCAT. THE NATIONAL MECHANISM FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE IS COMPOSED OF EMPLOYEES OF THE NMPT TEAM AS WELL AS EXTERNAL EXPERTS. • The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture constitutes one of the departments within the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. In 20208, the department’s Team consisted of 10 specialists and an employee working as a secretary. The Director of the NMPT is Przemysław Kazimirski and supervision over the activities of the Department is exercised by Deputy Commissioner for Human Rights Hanna Machińska, Ph.D. Pursuant to OPCAT provisions, employees of national preventive mechanisms should have relevant skills and diversified professional knowledge as well as constitute a representation of men and women. Staff members working for the Mechanism have relevant education in the fields of law, sociology, political sciences, rehabilitation, psychology and criminology. In the reported year, the NMPT Team was supported by the lawyer from the Commissioner for Human Rights’ regional representative office in Wrocław, who, in addition to her work there, took part in the NMPT preventive visits to establishments within the area of the office’s responsibility. • COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL MECHANISM FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE IN 2020: Przemysław Kazimirski – Director of the NMPT; lawyer Marcin Kusy – Deputy Director; lawyer Grażyna Kalisiewicz – employee of the secretary's office, lawyer Justyna Jóźwiak, Ph.D. – sociologist 10