5 BOX 1 How can civil society work with human rights treaty bodies? The relationship between human rights treaty bodies and civil society, in particular NGOs and human rights defenders, is institutionalized and is an integral part of the work of treaty bodies. NGOs are sometimes the only conduit for the submission of information on alleged violations of human rights. They also provide the United Nations human rights system, as well as OHCHR, with valuable studies and reports. Civil society plays a key role in advocating follow-up at country level to the recommendations and observations made by the United Nations treaty bodies. Stages 2, 4 and 6 of figure I are those that would especially benefit from civil society input. In addition to the secretariat teams of the respective treaty bodies, the OHCHR National Institutions, Regional Mechanisms and Civil Society Section provides support to NHRIs, regional mechanisms and civil society in their engagement with the treaty body mechanisms. OHCHR has also published Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society (HR/PUB/06/10/Rev.1), which is available from www.ohchr.org. ✔✔ Inquiries. Most treaty bodies have a mandate to conduct inquiries when they receive reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State party of rights set forth in the treaty. The treaty body invites the State to cooperate and may, if the State agrees, visit. The treaty body prepares a confidential report on the inquiry and sends it to the State for comment. The procedure is confidential although the treaty body may publish the final report with the consent of the State concerned. ✔✔ Visits. The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture has a mandate to visit any place under the jurisdiction and control of a particular State party where persons are or may be deprived of their liberty. The visits are meant to strengthen the protection of detainees against torture. According to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, States parties are obliged to allow visits. In addition, the Subcommittee may undertake technical assistance visits to strengthen national preventive mechanisms, which are national bodies for the prevention of torture. The Subcommittee may also undertake advisory visits. These are high-level talks with the aim of facilitating the implementation of the Optional Protocol. Finally, the Subcommittee undertakes follow-up visits to complement its follow-up procedure relating to reports of its visit.