21 4.5. Copperation of the Protector of Citizens in performing duties of the NPM with NGOs In compliance with the signed Cooperation Agreements, the Protector of Citizens cooperated closely with the majority of NGOs with whom the Cooperation Agreements were signed during 2012. The role of NGOs in performing duties of the NPM was not only in aim of the transparency of NPM work. Each NGO cooperating with the Protector of Citizens carried out activities, assuming responsibility for performing duties of the NPM in their special area of competence of which particularly responsible (primarily participating in the monitoring visits and drafting of the reports). Performing the activities of NPM in 2012 the Protector of Citizens conducted 60 visits in cooperation with the NGOs. A full cooperation was established with Belgrade Center for Human Rights in the field of police custody with 41 visits to the police stations jointly conducted, on which the reports were prepared in timely manner with about 150 recommendations made to remedy identified irregularities. In the field of police detention, along with the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCОМ) and Belgrade Center for Human Rights, 6 visits to detention units were undertaken, on which the reports were prepared in timely manner along with 20 recommendations made to eradicate he identified irregularities. In the field of penitentiary, 8 visits to prisons were carried out with Helsinki Centre for Human Rights in Serbia and reports including 100 recommendations for elimination of the identified irregularities were prepared. In the field of the protection of rights of persons admitted to psychiatric hospitals, a full cooperation was established with the International Aid Network (IAN), with 4 visits conducted to psychiatric institutions and reports were made including around 50 recommendations to remedy the identified deficiencies. In the field of the protection of rights of persons placed in stationary type social care institutions, a full cooperation was established with the Mental Disability Rights Initiative of Serbia (МDRI-S); 5 institutions were visited, a general report on position of people with mental disabilities was prepared, while recommendations to eliminate the identified irregularities will be issued after upcoming control (follow-up) visits have been conducted.