Implementation of the Duties and Powers of the National Preventive Mechanism in 2012 The implementation of recommendations of the NPM is a commitment of the State Party to the Optional Protocol. As a matter of fact, under Article 22 of the Optional Protocol, the competent authorities of the State Party are obliged to examine the recommendations of the NPM and enter into a dialogue with it on possible implementation measures. The performance regarding the success of the implementation of recommendations from visits by the NPM in 2012 is presented in the continuation of the text in the synthesis of our findings, and recommendations and responses by the competent authorities in a text about visits in individual institutions (this topic is partially presented in the chapter on the restriction of personal liberty and police procedures). These contributions have been made by various authors, also co-operators from the selected NGOs. Thus, it was Katja Sodja (Primus) who prepared the text on the visits to police stations, Miha Horvat (the Ombudsman’s Office) on visits to prisons and a correctional facility, Brigita Urh (the Ombudsman’s Office) on visits to juvenile facilities, Branka Pondelek (Primus) on visits to psychiatric hospitals, Jure Markič (the Ombudsman’s Office) on visits to special social care institutions, Ana Canjko (ZDS) (assisted by Jure Markič, Simona Šemen, Dr. Ingrid Russi Zagožen and Ivana Šelih) on visits to social care institutions, Ivan Šelih (the Ombudsman’s Office) on the visit to the Asylum Centre and the Aliens Centre, and Leja Drobnak (the Ombudsman’s Office) on a visit to the detention rooms of the Slovenian Armed Forces. The implementation of recommendations from previous visits is regularly monitored by the NPM during the renewed visits to the institutions. Special attention will be dedicated to this activity in the future since the performance of control visits has now began. A control visit is carried out, when, prior to the regular visit, it makes sense to check the implementation of recommendations of the NPM to eliminate irregularities and improve conditions and treatment of persons, which have been submitted in relation to the regular or extraordinary visit. In general, the NPM is satisfied with the responses by competent authorities (particularly institutions visited) in regard to our findings and recommendations to improve conditions, as their willingness to cooperate is demonstrated, and it has been particularly established that the institutions visited seek to adopt all measures for the necessary improvements which are within their capabilities. As an example, let us mention a (partial) response of a Principal of one of the visited juvenile facilities: “Dear Sirs, We are replying with due respect to your invitation with regard to the report made after the visit of our institution on the day of ..... The response in the role of the Principal may be summarised after our Institution’s employees had the opportunity to become familiar with your report and formally dealt with it at the session of the faculty on 15 May 2012 and at the session of the educators assembly on 9 May 2012. It refers only to recommendations and proposals given to our institutions. We, of course, support and agree with all those which are intended for other institutions within the activity of ...Before concluding, let me emphasize that we understood the report as positive and credited it with a high value since individual statements refer to matters and actions which have an important role in our system of professional values. Within this meaning we venture to make a written promise that now and also in the future we will seek to preserve our sensitive care for individual unprivileged young people at as high an ethical and professional level as possible. Sincerely yours, ...« The NPM, however, desires a deeper cooperation in terms of content with competent ministries (for example, with the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, Ministry of Justice and Public Administration, Ministry of Health), particularly in cases where systemic changes are needed (for example, modifications and amendments of legislation). We present in full, as an example of best practice, a response by the Ministry of Defence to the findings and recommendations from our visit; that response is the Plan for the Elimination of Irregularities discovered during the visit of the NPM to the 17th Military Police Battalion. National Preventive Mechanism in the Republic of Slovenia under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 11