Annual report 2011: Spain’s National Preventive Mechanism Of the 62 states that have ratified the OPCAT, as of the start of 2012 only 31 have set up an NPM under the parameters required. 18 of them are from Europe 19.  Moreover, as of the start of 2012 only 31 of the 62 states that have ratified the OPCAT have actually set up an NPM under the parameters required by the OPCAT. A breakdown by geographical location reveals that 18 of those 31 states are European: Albania, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Moldova, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, FYR Macedonia and the UK. Only five are from Africa: the Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Senegal and Nigeria; four from the Americas: Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and Uruguay; three from Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; and one from Oceania: New Zealand. The 31 countries that have designated NPMs (29 discounting the two that have not yet formally notified the SPT) have chosen many different forms. Each country is free to choose whatever form of NPM best suits its particular characteristics or interests. As a result, some NPMs consist of a single institution (e.g. in Spain, France, Macedonia, etc) while others comprise a number of different organisations, one of which acts as a coordinator (as is the case in the UK). The tables below show the forms taken by NPMs in Europe and Latin America, the two main geographical areas in terms of international relations for the Ombudsman of Spain. Table 14.  Form of NPMs in Europe and Latin America Europe Ombudsman – Albania: People’s Advocate. – Cyprus: Commissioner of Administration. – Denmark: Ombudsman. – Slovenia: Human Rights Ombudsman in combination with NGO. – Spain: Defensor del Pueblo. – Estonia: Chancellor of Justice. Country Other institutions – Germany: Federal Agency for the Prevention of Torture & Joint Commission of the Lander. – France: Contrôleur Général des Lieux de Privation de Liberté. – Liechtenstein: Corrections Commission. – Luxembourg: Médiateure du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. – Malta: Board of Visitors for Detained Persons & Board of Visitors of the Prisons. – Moldova: Centre for Human Rights (Ombudsman) in combination with the Consultative Council. – UK: 18 organisations, with HM Inspectorate for Prisons as coordinator for all 18. – Poland: The Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection (Ombudsman). – Switzerland: National Commission for the Prevention of Torture. – Czech Republic: Public Defender of Rights. – FYR Macedonia: Ombudsman. – Sweden: Parliamentary Ombudsman & Chancellor of Justice. 30    THE OMBUDSMAN OF SPAIN