The commissions are appointed to monitor conditions inside penal institutions in their respective regions of Russia.
The trainings were carried out with assistance and participation from Norwegian as well as Russian experts in the field. The training was aimed at highlighting some of the challenges the commissions meet. The participants highlighted positive and negative experiences and sought ways for future cooperation. They were also concerned with how the commissions can influence the penal system in a positive way, including the criteria for how their members are appointed and the challenge of financing the activities of the commissions.
There was also a focus on how to involve independent human rights defenders as members of the Commissions instead of former government employees. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee will continue its work with the Public Observation Commissions. The training took place in Helsinki from 2 to 6 December 2010.