Ombudsman Siniša Bjeković and Minister of Justice Bojan Božović signed a Memorandum of Cooperation today, which, as announced, will enable more efficient action on the recommendations of the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (NPM) and faster exchange of information in order to protect the rights of persons deprived of their liberty.
The Office of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms said that the memorandum represents an additional step towards improving cooperation between the NPM, which operates within the institution of the Ombudsman, and the Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the system of execution of criminal sanctions through the Directorate for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions.
"The agreement stipulates that the NPM may submit to the Ministry of Justice recommendations, opinions, initiatives and suggestions arising from its activities of visiting places where persons are deprived of their liberty," the statement says.
The Ministry will, as it is added, consider this information without delay and inform the NPM as soon as possible about the measures taken or planned.
The memorandum also envisages the establishment of direct communication between institutions through the appointment of contact persons, which, as stated by the institution of the Protector, further improves the efficiency of cooperation and enables timely response to issues of importance for the protection of the human rights of detainees and prisoners.
"The Memorandum does not change legally prescribed competencies, nor does it affect the independence of institutions, but rather represents an expression of a shared commitment to improving the protection of the rights of persons deprived of their liberty and the consistent application of domestic and international standards through continuous dialogue, accountability and coordinated action," the statement said.
Božović and Bjeković reportedly agree that the protection of human rights depends not only on the quality of recommendations, but also on the willingness of institutions to respond to them in a timely and effective manner.
According to them, the Memorandum should enable exactly that - to resolve identified problems more quickly, and to transform recommendations into concrete improvements in the position of persons deprived of their liberty.
"They expressed their belief that this kind of cooperation will contribute to strengthening the accountability of institutions and more consistent implementation of domestic and international human rights protection standards," the statement added.
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