Report of the Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture in Poland in 2017 National and international cooperation128 An important element of the operation and development of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture is the participation of its representatives in various events on the national level. This way, the NMPT emphasizes its role as a body that protects the rights of persons deprived of their liberty, as well as gains new experience as a result of cooperating with other entities operating in this area. The most significant events in 2017 included the conference “Polish representation before the ECHR - more than two decades of experiences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 20th anniversary of the first ruling passed by the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Poland (Proszak against Poland); the meeting of representatives of YCC’s directors, family judges, academics, the NMPT with the representatives of Szczecin branch of the Supreme Chamber of Control devoted to the discussion of issues related to the operation of youth care centres in Poland; the meeting with CPT representatives during the inspection of the places of detention in Poland informing about the status of protection of persons deprived of their liberty against inhuman and degrading treatment and torture or the session of the Senate Committee on Human Rights, Rule of Law and Petitions concerning the petition submitted by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights with respect to the amendment of the act on juvenile delinquency proceedings. Another major event was the Congress on Human Rights organized by the Commissioner for Human Rights. The National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture organized two panels devoted to the protection of persons deprived of liberty against degrading and inhuman treatment and torture. The first panel “Torture victims in closed detention centres on the territory of the Republic of Poland” touched upon the problem of identifying torture victims among foreigners placed in closed detention centres and discussed psychological assistance that is offered to them. During the second panel - “Is it possible to fully eliminate torture in Poland?” – the participants discussed the mechanisms for the protection of the most vulnerable individuals against torture and their effectiveness. 128 More information on the NMPT’s activity on the national and international arenas is available on the NMPT website under the tabs NMPT’s National cooperation and NMPT’s International cooperation. 77