A/70/44 J. Participation of national human rights institutions and national preventive mechanisms 18. Similarly, the Committee has long recognized the work of national human rights institutions; country rapporteurs, together with any other Committee member wishing to attend, have met with the representatives of such institutions, if requested, before the consideration of each State party report under article 19 of the Convention. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the national human rights instituti ons for the information it receives from them, and looks forward to continuing to benefit from the information it derives from those bodies, which has enhanced its understanding of the issues before the Committee. At its fifty-fourth session, the Committee decided to offer national human rights institutions, as well as national preventive mechanisms established by States parties as provided for under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, the possibility to have a private meeting with the whole of the Committee. K. Rapporteurs on reprisals 19. At its forty-ninth session, the Committee decided to adopt a mechanism to prevent, monitor and follow up cases of reprisal against civil society organizations, human rights defenders, victims and witnesses after their engagement with the treaty body system. It subsequently designated Mr. Tugushi as the rapporteur on reprisals under article 19 and Mr. Bruni as the rapporteur on reprisals under articles 20 and 22. At its fifty-fourth session, the Committee considered draft guidelines, prepared by both rapporteurs, in relation to reprisals, and decided that the draft guidelines would be revised and submitted by the rapporteurs for consideration at the fifty -fifth session. 20. At its fifty-third session, the Committee received information on allegations of reprisals under article 19 concerning Burundi. Letters on the allegations of reprisals were sent to the State party on 25 and 28 November 2014. Burundi sent a reply on 5 December 2014. On 13 May 2015, during its fifty-fourth session, the Committee sent to Bahrain a letter on allegations of reprisals in that State party. Information is available on the Committee against Torture web page. L. Treaty body strengthening process 21. At its fifty-third session, the Committee discussed the implications of General Assembly resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights treaty body system, as well as the recommendations of the twenty seventh meeting of the chairs of the human rights treaty bodies, held in San José in June 2014. In that regard, the Committee took some decisions in relation to the simplified reporting procedure for States parties with long overdue reports, the guidance note on the dialogue, the reporting guidelines, follow-up to concluding observations and reprisals (see section I.N). The Committee reaffirmed its support for the treaty body strengthening outcome, while stressing the necessity to allocate sufficient staff resources to the Petitions Unit so as to enable the Committee to address its backlog of individual complaints and therefore efficiently use the additional session time provided under Assembly resolution 68/268. GE.15-13195 9/24