A/73/44 E. Activities of the Committee in connection with the Optional Protocol to the Convention 11. As at 18 May 2018, there were 88 States parties to the Optional Protocol to the Convention (see http://treaties.un.org). As required by the Optional Protocol, on 16 November 2017, 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. Both treaty bodies pursued their cooperation through their active joint participation in several events, such as the OHCHR seminar on the implementation of effective safeguards to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment during police custody and pretrial detention, held on 6 October 2017 in Geneva, and a follow-up side event to the launch of the Global Alliance for Torture-Free Trade, organized by the Convention against Torture Initiative and the European Union and held on 13 October 2017 in New York. 12. An additional meeting was held on 8 May 2018 between the Committee and the Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, at which the latter presented to the Committee the eleventh public annual report of the Subcommittee (CAT/C/63/4). F. Joint statement on the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture and cooperation with the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture 13. The Committee adopted a joint statement with the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture for issuance on 26 June 2017, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (see the web page of the Voluntary Fund at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Torture/UNVFT/Pages/IntlDay.aspx). At the invitation of the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund, the Chair of the Committee participated in an expert workshop on the theme “Seeking justice for torture: a victim-centred approach”, held on 11–12 April 2018 in Geneva. G. Revised general comment on article 3 of the Convention 14. At its fifty-fifth session, the Committee decided to revise its general comment No. 1 (1997) on the implementation of article 3 in the context of article 22. At its fifty-sixth session, it held a preliminary discussion on the main issues to be discussed in the context of the revised general comment. At its fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth sessions, it discussed a list of topics to be covered in the revised general comment. At its fifty-ninth session, it completed its first reading of the draft revised general comment. At its sixtieth session, it held a public general debate on 27 April 2017, which was preceded by a call for written submissions (available on the Committee’s web page) from all relevant stakeholders, including States, United Nations human rights mechanisms, other relevant international entities and civil society representatives. A working group composed of Alessio Bruni (rapporteur), Felice Gaer and Abdelwahab Hani had been entrusted with the drafting process. The Committee undertook its second reading of the draft general comment at its sixty-first session. At its sixty-second session, the Committee completed its second reading and adopted general comment No. 4 (2018) on the implementation of article 3 of the Convention in the context of article 22, which replaces general comment No. 1. H. Participation of non-governmental organizations 15. The Committee has long recognized the work of non-governmental organizations and has met with them in private on the day immediately before the consideration of each State party report submitted under article 19 of the Convention. The Committee expresses its appreciation to those organizations for their participation in the meetings and is particularly appreciative of the attendance of national non-governmental organizations, which provide immediate and direct information, both orally and in writing. The 2