National Preventive Mechanism The OPCAT secretariat was set up to exclusively dedicate its work to the preventive mandate of the NPM. It serves as a hub between the AOB and the six commissions and provides logistical and organizational support. It furthermore examines international reports and documents in order to support the NPM with information from similar institutions. OPCAT secretariat Additionally a total of 19 legal experts (employees of the AOB) examine the findings and observations made by the commissions during their visits. They have legal expertise in the areas relevant to the work of the NPM, such as the rights of persons with disabilities, children’s rights, social rights, police, asylum and correctional institutions. They evaluate the visit reports submitted by the commissions from a legal point of view, confront the competent authorities regarding deficits and human rights violations and prepare concrete recommendations to improve the situation in places of detention. Together with the commissions these legal experts are also in charge of drafting legislative proposals and comments on laws and regulations related to NPM matters. 1.4.2 Commissions To fulfil its responsibilities in accordance with the Act on the Implementation of the OPCAT (OPCAT-Durchführungsgesetz), the NPM must entrust the multidisciplinary commissions it has appointed with the tasks they have to perform. If required, the regional commissions may involve experts from other specialist areas provided that members of other commissions are not available for this purpose. The commissions are organised in accordance with regional criteria. They each consist of seven members and one head of commission. Commission 1 Commission 2 Tyrol/Vorarlberg Salzburg/Upper Austria Chair: Karin TREICHL Chair: Reinhard KLAUSHOFER Members Members Susanne BAUMGARTNER Markus FELLINGER Sepp BRUGGER Wolfgang FROMHERZ Elif GÜNDÜZ Katalin GOMBAR Max KAPFERER Esther KIRCHBERGER Lorenz KERER Robert KRAMMER Monika RITTER Renate STELZIG-SCHÖLER Hubert STOCKNER Hanna ZIESEL Six commissions 67