A/73/44 and Judgement Watch on 26–27 October 2017 in Geneva. For the first time, at its sixtythird session, the Committee held a joint meeting with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to discuss issues of common interest and areas of cooperation. L. Implementation of retreat decisions on the working methods of the Committee 20. In follow-up to the decisions of its two-day retreat on working methods, held at its fifty-third session, the Committee undertook the following actions: (a) Eight States (Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Cabo Verde, Côte dʼIvoire, Malawi, the Niger, Seychelles and Somalia) with long overdue initial reports were offered the simplified reporting procedure (see sect. II. D); (b) The Committee started a preliminary substantive evaluation of the simplified reporting procedure (see sect. II. B); (c) The Committee adopted guidelines for follow-up to concluding observations (CAT/C/55/3); (d) The Committee improved the contribution and participation of national human rights institutions, national preventive mechanisms and non-governmental organizations in its sessions (see sect. I. I), including using new communication technologies, such as Skype and videoconferences; (e) The Committee established a working group on individual complaints so as to enable the Committee to apprehend fully the internal processes of the individual complaints procedure; (f) The Committee adopted a revised general comment on article 3 (see sect. I. G); (g) The Committee adopted guidelines on the receipt and handling of allegations of reprisals against individuals and organizations cooperating with the Committee under articles 13, 19, 20 and 22 of the Convention (see sect. I. J). M. Participation of Committee members in other meetings 21. During the period under consideration, Committee members actively participated with oral and written contributions in various meetings: (a) An expert consultation of the Special Rapporteur on Torture with regard to his study on migration-related torture, with the support of OHCHR and the Association for the Prevention of Torture, held from 28 to 30 August 2017 in Geneva, was attended by Mr. Bruni; (b) A 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, organized by OHCHR further to Human Rights Council resolution 31/31, held on 6 October 2017 in Geneva, was attended by Jens Modvig. II. Submission of reports by States parties under article 19 of the Convention 22. During the period covered by the present report, 15 reports from States parties under article 19 of the Convention were submitted to the Secretary-General. Initial reports were submitted by Maldives and Viet Nam. Second periodic reports were submitted by Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa. Third periodic reports were submitted by Benin and Togo. A fifth periodic report was submitted by Uzbekistan. Sixth periodic reports were submitted by Germany and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Seventh periodic reports were submitted by Greece, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and the Netherlands. 4