National Preventive Mechanism Eleventh Annual Report 2019–20 The essential requirement of OPCAT – that all places of detention are independently monitored – is fulfilled by individual members of the NPM or by members working in partnership with one another. Detailed findings relating to the treatment and conditions of detainees are published in the inspection or annual reports of each NPM member. • supporting NPM members in developing and implementing NPM work and in fulfilling their NPM responsibilities; and • speaking publicly on behalf of the NPM and representing the NPM at meetings with external stakeholders. UK NPM members do not have provisions in their legislation to inspect or visit extraterritorial places of detention or the Overseas Territories (OTs) or Crown Dependencies (CDs) of the UK. No members of the UK NPM have powers to inspect military detention overseas. The NPM does not have access to any information about places of detention overseas, either under control of the military or otherwise. NPM Secretariat The NPM’s twice-yearly business meetings are its main forum for members to share findings, best practice, experiences and lessons from monitoring different types of detention and different jurisdictions. The NPM business plan is agreed and monitored at these meetings and other decisions which require the input of all members are made. This reporting year, business meetings were held in November 2019 in Edinburgh and in March 2020 in Belfast. NPM Chair The NPM’s independent Chair is appointed by NPM members. John Wadham took up the role in 2014, having been appointed for a four-year term. He was appointed for a second four-year term in April 2018. The role of the Chair is to advise and support the NPM in fulfilling its mandate, including: • chairing the NPM steering group meetings three to four times a year and NPM business meetings twice a year; 10 The Chair also supports the NPM Secretariat in carrying out its role. The NPM’s Secretariat is based at HMI Prisons and coordinates the UK NPM to help achieve the full and effective implementation of OPCAT in the UK. It comprises three employees who coordinate the NPM with the purpose of: • promoting cohesion and a shared understanding of OPCAT among NPM members; • encouraging collaboration and the sharing of information and good practice between UK NPM members; • facilitating joint activities between members on issues of common concern; • liaising with the SPT, NPMs in other states and international human rights bodies; • sharing experiences and expertise between the UK NPM and NPMs in other states; • representing the NPM as a whole to government and other stakeholders in the UK; and • preparing the Annual Report and other publications.