National Preventive Mechanism Annual Report 2009–10 The members also discussed the different contexts – both political and geographical – in which they operate, including fears that some service providers are subject to over-inspection. They agreed that the existence of the NPM would facilitate the sharing of information and good practice among members and could lead to joint activities such as training for staff. However, concern was also expressed about the availability of resources for joint work. There was agreement that the NPM members should draw on common standards when monitoring places of detention but that homogenisation (for example, of methodologies) was neither necessary nor appropriate given the different types of detention visited and the different contexts in which the members operate. Mapping the NPM Given the size and complexity of the NPM in the UK, it was thought useful to map the mandates and methodologies of each of the members. This work was primarily undertaken by the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol with the assistance and input of the NPM members themselves, and is available online.9 External relations Members of the UK’s NPM are often invited to share their experience and expertise of visiting a range of detention settings with others. For example, Independent Monitoring Boards in England and Wales have hosted visits by delegations from a range of countries, including Japan and Russia, who are interested in the idea of visits to prisons by volunteers from the community. Similarly, representatives from the Independent Custody Visiting Association have visited China to share their expertise. In addition, representatives of the UK NPM have participated in a project designed to strengthen the prevention of torture in Europe. Organised by the Council of Europe, it involves creating an active network of NPMs so that information and best practice on detention monitoring can be shared. Part of the project involves a series of workshops exploring themes relating to monitoring detention. In March 2009, a workshop was held in Padua, Italy to explore the role of NPMs in preventing ill-treatment of those 9 To view a database of the UK NPM members, visit: www.bristol.ac.uk/law/research/centres-themes/hric 14