CAT/C/70/2 H. Advice relating to the COVID-19 pandemic 24. During the course of the fortieth session of the Subcommittee, and in response to a request from a national preventive mechanism, the Subcommittee adopted a statement containing advice provided to the national preventive mechanism of the United Kingdom regarding compulsory quarantine for the COVID-19 pandemic (CAT/OP/9). Within a very short time, the enormity of the impact of COVID-19 on detention systems and detainees and on the work of national preventive mechanisms became ever more apparent. In response, the Subcommittee adopted a statement on advice relating to the COVID-19 pandemic through an intersessional adoption procedure on 25 March 2020. The statement was subsequently distributed to all national preventive mechanisms and States parties, and is reproduced as an annex to the present report. 25. Following the issuance of that advice, the Subcommittee contacted all national preventive mechanisms and States parties with requests for information concerning their responses to that advice and to the pandemic in general. The Subcommittee is very grateful to the many national preventive mechanisms and States parties who responded. The information that they provided has formed the basis of a series of ongoing dialogues and, alongside other sources of information, will be used to help guide the Subcommittee as it seeks to develop further guidance concerning effective prevention. III. Engagement with other bodies in the field of torture prevention A. International cooperation 1. Cooperation with other United Nations bodies 26. The Chair of the Subcommittee was unable to discuss the thirteenth annual report of the Subcommittee (CAT/C/69/3) with the Committee against Torture in plenary session at the Committee’s sixty-ninth session owing to the cancellation of that session. 27. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 70/146, the Chair of the Subcommittee, together with the Chair of the Committee against Torture and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, presented the thirteenth annual report of the Subcommittee to the Assembly at its seventyfifth session in an online meeting. 28. As a member of the meeting of the Chairs of human rights treaty bodies, the Chair of the Subcommittee participated in several informal online meetings of the Chairs during the year. At the informal meeting of the Chairs of human rights treaty bodies, which was held online from 2 to 5 June 2020, the Subcommittee was also represented by Nora Sveaass and Victor Zaharia. 29. On 26 June, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, a joint statement was issued by the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the Committee against Torture, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and the Special Rapporteur on torture, highlighting the manner in which the COVID-19 pandemic was leading to an escalation of torture and ill-treatment worldwide, and the heightened risk of infection faced by torture victims and survivors and detainees.6 30. On 26 June, the Chair of the Subcommittee and the President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment also issued a joint statement emphasizing the absolute nature of the prohibition of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.7 6 7 www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/NewsSearch.aspx?NTID=STM&MID= Sub_Committ_Torture. www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=26003&LangID=E. 7