A/70/44 (b) An event entitled “Reflexions on the 30th anniversary of the Convention against Torture”, organized by the European Commission and held Brussels on 3 December 2014, was attended by Abdoulaye Gaye; (c) A forum on follow-up to Committee against Torture recommendations, organized by the World Organisation against Torture and held in Geneva on 6 and 7 February 2015, was attended by Mr. Bruni, Mr. Modvig and George Tugushi; (d) An expert workshop on the provision of assistance to victims of torture in emergency contexts and in the long term and a public meeting on the right to redress and rehabilitation of victims of torture as an integral part of the fight against torture, organized by the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and held in Geneva on 15 and 16 April 2015, were attended by Mr. Bruni. 10. In the context of the treaty body strengthening process, Felice Gaer and Claudio Grossman participated in the informal consultations of the Chairs of the human rights treaty bodies, held at Wilton Park from 16 to 18 January 2015. E. Oral report of the Chair to the General Assembly 11. In accordance with paragraph 35 of General Assembly resolution 68/156, on 21 October 2014 the Chair of the Committee presented an oral report to and engaged in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session (see the Committee web page, hosted on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), www.ohchr.org/). F. Activities of the Committee in connection with the Optional Protocol to the Convention 12. As at 15 May 2015, there were 78 States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention (see http://treaties.un.org). As required by the Optional Protocol, on 19 November 2014, a joint meeting was held between the members of the Committee and the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Committee, the Subcommittee on Prevention and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment strengthened their cooperation through their active joint participation in a workshop on gender-sensitive monitoring and the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (the “Bangkok Rules”). This event was facilitated by Penal Reform International. 13. An additional meeting was held on 23 April 2015 between the Committee and the Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention, at which the latter presented to the Committee the eighth public annual report of the Subcommittee ( CAT/C/54/2). At the same meeting, the Committee decided to offer 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 (see sect. I.J). GE.15-13195 7/24