A/HRC/33/66 V. Urgent action procedure 22. A procedure known as “urgent action” may be resorted to in the following cases: (a) In cases in which there are sufficiently reliable allegations that a person is being arbitrarily deprived of his or her liberty and that the continuation of such deprivation constitutes a serious threat to that person’s health, physical or psychological integrity or even to his or her life; (b) In cases in which, even when no such threat is alleged to exist, there are particular circumstances that warrant an urgent action. 23. After having transmitted an urgent appeal to the Government, the Working Group may transmit the case through its regular procedure in order to render an opinion on whether the deprivation of liberty was arbitrary or not. Such appeals, which are of a purely humanitarian nature, in no way prejudge any opinion the Working Group may render. The Government is required to respond separately for the urgent action procedure and the regular procedure. 24. The Chair-Rapporteur, or in his or her absence the Vice-Chairs (see para. 3 (c) and (d) above), shall transmit the appeal by the most rapid means to the Minister for Foreign Affairs through the Permanent Mission of the country concerned. VI. Country visits 25. For the purposes of completing its task, the Working Group frequently pays visits on official mission. The visits are prepared in collaboration with the Government, the United Nations agencies in the field and civil society representatives. The visits are an opportunity for the Working Group to engage in direct dialogue with the Government concerned and with representatives of civil society, with the aim of better understanding the situation of deprivation of liberty in the country and the underlying reasons for arbitrary detention. An important part of these missions are visits to detention centres, including penitentiaries, prisons, police stations, detention centres for migrants and psychiatric hospitals. 26. When the Working Group receives an invitation from a Government to conduct a country visit, it responds by inviting the Permanent Representative of the State to the United Nations Office at Geneva to a meeting to determine the dates and terms of the visit. The secretariat of the Working Group initiates a dialogue with the parties involved in the visit with a view to taking all practical measures to facilitate the mission. The preparation for the visit is conducted in close cooperation with diplomatic authorities of the host country and United Nations agencies. 27. The Government must assure the Working Group that, during the visit, the Working Group will have the opportunity to conduct meetings with the highest authorities of the branches of the State (political, administrative, legislative and judicial authorities), that it will be able to visit penitentiaries, prisons, police stations, immigration detention centres, military prisons, detention centres for juveniles and psychiatric hospitals and that it will be able to meet with all the authorities and officials who affect the personal liberty of persons subjected to the jurisdiction of the host State. The Working Group shall also conduct meetings with international bodies and agencies as well as with non-governmental organizations, lawyers, bar associations and other professional associations of interest, national human rights institutions, diplomatic and consular representatives and religious authorities. Absolute confidentiality shall be guaranteed during the interviews between the Working Group and persons deprived of their liberty. The Government shall guarantee there will be no reprisals against persons interviewed by the Working Group. 6 GE.16-11947