A/65/273 16. On 26 June 2010, on the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and the Special Rapporteur issued a statement recalling that despite an established international legal framework, torture prevails in many regions of the world and is often accompanied by an alarming degree of impunity. D. Highlights of key presentations/consultations/training courses 17. On 23 February, the Special Rapporteur met with representatives of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Vienna to discuss several issues related to the country and to the mandate. 18. On 24 February, the Special Rapporteur attended the Fourth World Congress against the Death Penalty in Geneva and gave a presentation entitled “The death penalty and human dignity”. 19. On 3 March, the Special Rapporteur participated together with other mandate holders in a panel on the theme “Violence is not culture — end violence against women and girls in the name of ‘culture’” organized in New York by the Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women. 20. On 4 March, the Special Rapporteur delivered the keynote address at the annual symposium organized by the University of Iowa College of Law on “A critical juncture: human rights and United States standing in the world under the Obama Administration”. On 5 March, he made a presentation on a panel on “Torture, military prosecutions, habeas corpus and United States standing in the world”. 21. On 10 March, the Special Rapporteur gave a lecture at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, on the topic “Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment”. 22. On 10 March, the Special Rapporteur participated in the Human Rights Council’s annual meeting on the rights of the child, on the theme of the fight against sexual violence against children, and made a presentation entitled “Sexual violence in institutions, including in detention facilities”. 23. From 9 to 12 March, the Special Rapporteur participated in several side events during the thirteenth session of the Human Rights Council, including the Berkeley University Panel on Project 2048; “Exploring sustainable systems to document torture: the role of health professionals” organized by the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims and the World Medical Association; “Torture and accountability: the responsibility of the legal profession” organized by the International Commission of Jurists; “Human rights in Zimbabwe: one year on. Time to ratify conventions?” organized by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum; and “Religion in prisons” organized by Penal Reform International. 24. On 8 and 9 April, the Special Rapporteur gave two lectures on “Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment: experience of the Special Rapporteur on torture”, at Pomona College and Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, United States of America. In addition, he made a presentation on “Torture as a tool in the war on terror and legal obligations of the Obama Administration”, at Pomona College. 10-48049 7