2 – THE NATIONAL AGENCY IN THE NATIONAL CONTEXT The National Agency is committed to becoming more widely known throughout Germany and to increasing its effectiveness regarding the protection of human dignity. In order to achieve these goals, it engages in a number of activities. For example, the National Agency publishes visit reports and Ministry statements as well as its standards on its website. This might encourage supervisory authorities and facilities that were not visited to independently review and improve the detention conditions of persons deprived of their liberty to ensure the respect of human dignity. In 2017, representatives of the National Agency visited educational institutions such as Schloss Hansenberg Boarding School, Humboldt University of Berlin and the Federal University of Public Administration in North Rhine-Westphalia in order to present the Agency's work and standards. They also conducted similar public relations work at the Expert Conference of Protestant Adult Education Institutions in Saxony, at the Annual Meeting of the Visiting Commissions for Psychiatric Establishments in Brandenburg, at the Berlin “Vollzugsstammtisch” (a group of prison system experts in Berlin), at a meeting of Directors-General from the different Länder who are responsible for measures of reform and prevention, and at a conference of Land desk officers dealing with the law on social care homes. The National Agency organised two expert talks in Wiesbaden, one with representatives of police complaints and investigation bodies of numerous Länder, and one with civil society organisations working in the area of deportations. The National Agency maintains a regular exchange with relevant persons in positions of responsibility, such as the head of the division responsible for the Federal Police at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, and the Prison Service Commissioner of North Rhine-Westphalia. On 22 March, members of the National Agency gave a statement during a public hearing in front of the Bundestag Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid in Berlin with regard to the “Twelfth Report of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany on its Human Rights Policy”. On 24 April, a number of members gave their opinions at expert talks hosted by Tom Koenigs on the future of the National Agency, which also took place in Berlin. In addition to this, the National Agency made contributions to discussions at selected expert conferences. A tabular overview of all such activities that the National Agency was involved in in 2017 can be found in annex “V 4 – Activities in the period under review”. On the occasion of the publication of the previous Annual Report, the National Agency, for the first time, hosted a reception in Berlin and invited representatives from the facilities it had visited as well as from state bodies and further interested parties. There, it gave a detailed presentation of its area of focus in 2016 (women’s prisons) and of the most important conclusions drawn from the visits conducted the previous year. In addition, those in attendance had the chance to exchange ideas with other experts. Lastly, the National Agency is active in social 2 networks where it provides concise information on its work as an NPM to the broader public. 2 Twitter: “@NationaleStelle”, Facebook: “Nationale Stelle zur Verhütung von Folter / NPM Germany”. 11