A/63/175 30. On 10 June, he held consultations with representatives of the United States Congressional Human Rights Caucus about the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other questions related to the mandate. 31. On 11 and 12 June, the Special Rapporteur participated, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway, in a meeting on the further development of the “Agenda for Human Rights”. The meeting was organized by the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights 32. On 16 June, the Special Rapporteur participated in an expert meeting in Berlin organized by Amnesty International, the Walther Schucking Institute and the Heinrich Böll Foundation on the application of United Nations human rights treaties to troops participating in United Nations peace operations. 33. On 23 June, the Special Rapporteur held a meeting in Geneva with members of the Subcommittee on Prevention to discuss matters of mutual concern. 34. On 24 June 2008, the Special Rapporteur took part in a round table on international aviation law sponsored by REDRESS and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism with the support of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 35. On 25 June 2008, on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on 26 June, he attended an event organized in Brussels by the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights to discuss the prohibition of torture. 36. On 19 July 2008, at the Diplomatic Conference “Living the UDHR after 60 Years: challenges for the European Union” organized by the European InterUniversity Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation in Venice, Italy, the Special Rapporteur gave a presentation on the question “Is there a need for a coordinated European policy relating to the principle of non-refoulement?”. III. Protecting persons with disabilities from torture 37. In the exercise of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has received information 1 about different forms of violence and abuse inflicted against persons with disabilities — men, women and children. 2 But for their disability, such individuals are targets for neglect and abuse. 38. Persons with disabilities are often segregated from society in institutions, including prisons, social care centres, orphanages and mental health institutions. They are deprived of their liberty for long periods of time including what may amount to a lifelong experience, either against their will or without their free and __________________ 1 2 8 See A/58/120, paras. 36-53. In addition, on 11 December 2007, the Special Rapporteur participated in an expert seminar on “Freedom from torture and ill-treatment and persons with disabilities”, organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, where relevant situations and cases were discussed; the report can be found at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/disability/index.htm. The term “persons with disabilities” refers to women, men and children who have physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, as reflected in article 1 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 08-44075