33 SECTION 2 THE RESULTS OF NPM OPERATION IN UKRAINE 2.1. GENERAL INFORMATION ON NPM ACTIVITIES IN UKRAINE IN 2012 The total number of institutions that by their formal attributes may be recognized as custodial settings exceeds 6 thousand. They are in the charge of 11 ministries and agencies: State Migration Service, State Penitentiary Service, State Border Service, State Court Administration, State Tax Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education, Science, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Health Care, Ministry of Social Policy, Security Service of Ukraine (see Table 1). In the course of 2012 monitoring visits were mostly performed by the staff of the NPM Implementation Department. Civic monitors began taking part in the visits only as of November 2012, with the coming into effect of the relevant amendments to the Law of Ukraine “On the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights”. By December 31, 2012 NPM Department staff undertook monitoring visits to 169 institutions, including 82 institutions under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 1 – of the Security Service, 31 – of the State Penitentiary Service, 5 – of the State Border Service, 2 – of the Ministry of Defense 16 – under the Ministry of In 2012 civic monitors took part in monitoring visits to 43 institutions recognized as custodial settings. 19 such visits occurred with participation of AIM and KhISR experts, and the other 24 – jointly with the Ombudsman’s civic relations coordinators in Kherson, Cherkassy and Volyn Regions.. Health Care, 26 – of the Ministry of Social Policy and 6 institutions under the Ministry of Education, Science, Youth and Sport of Ukraine.