MONITORING OF CUSTODIAL SETTINGS IN UKRAINE 22 principal task of the Department is to ensure implementation of the Ombudsman’s authority in the sphere of parliamentary control over the respect of the right to protection against torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (further referred to as illtreatment) in accordance with the OPCAT requirements. The Department has 34 staffers and consists of three administrations and six sections. Each unit performs independently from others, according to its own work plan, watches over specific ministries or agencies and, accordingly, monitors a clearly defined circle of custodial settings. In our view, such organization enables substantial increase of the general efficiency of custodial settings monitoring: such monitoring is, firstly, conducted simultaneously by six different units, of which each, secondly, is composed of experts thoroughly aware of the particularities of operation of this or that custodial setting. Indeed, it is hard to compare the specifics of functioning of a remand prison with that of an orphanage facility, or a neuropsychiatric residence with a temporary holding area for foreigners and stateless individuals. The Department is authorized: – to monitor the respect of the right to protection against ill-treatment and to submit proposals to the Ombudsman with regard to the use of parliamentary control measures in order to safeguard human rights and freedoms; – to organize and conduct systemic (scheduled and ad hoc) visits to custodial settings in order to prevent ill-treatment, including visits jointly with representatives of non-governmental organizations; – to take measures, as assigned by the Ombudsman, for efficient response to violations of the right to protection against ill-treatment; – to analyze the status of the respect of human rights in custodial settings, to prepare analytical and informational materials on issues of ill-treatment and to submit proposals to the Ombudsman for proper response; – to participate in the drafting of the Ombudsman’s annual and special reports; – to participate in the drafting of the Ombudsman’s constitutionality actions with the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, of the Ombudsman’s submissions to the President of Ukraine, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, heads of public authorities and bodies of local self-government and of the Ombudsman’s letters and other acts of response, in order to prevent violations of human and civic rights, to restore them or to exert control over their enforcement;