A/68/44 and compulsory training courses on the Convention, which include strategies for dealing with violence against children, women, indigenous peoples, human rights defenders and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The State party should also ensure that the Manual on Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol) is a compulsory topic in the training of all professionals involved in the investigation and documentation of cases of torture and ill-treatment, and that it is widely publicized and applied. It further recommends that the State party develop and apply a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of training programmes in reducing torture and ill-treatment. Death penalty (25) While noting with satisfaction the de facto moratorium on the use of the death penalty and the commutation of all death penalties into prison sentences, the Committee regrets that the death penalty remains on the statute book in the State party (arts. 2 and 16). The Committee invites the State party to consider abolishing the death penalty and ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. In the meantime, the Committee urges the State party to maintain its de facto moratorium. Other issues (26) The Committee invites the State party to consider acceding to the core United Nations human rights instruments to which it is not yet a party, namely, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure. (27) The State party is requested to disseminate widely the report submitted to the Committee and these concluding observations, in the appropriate languages, including indigenous languages, through official websites, the media and non-governmental organizations. (28) The Committee requests the State party to provide, by 31 May 2014, follow-up information in response to the Committee’s recommendations related to: (a) ensuring or strengthening fundamental legal safeguards for detainees; (b) conducting prompt, impartial and effective investigations; and (c) prosecuting suspects and sanctioning perpetrators of torture or ill-treatment, as contained in paragraphs 13, 14 and 18 of the present document. (29) The State party is invited to submit its seventh periodic report by 31 May 2017. To that purpose, the Committee will, in due course, submit to the State party a list of issues prior to reporting, given that the State party has agreed to report to the Committee under the optional reporting procedure. 71. Japan (1) The Committee against Torture considered the second periodic report of Japan (CAT/C/JPN/2) at its 1152nd and 1155th meetings, held on 21 and 22 May 2013 (CAT/C/SR.1152 and 1155), and adopted the following concluding observations at its 1164th meeting, held on 29 May 2013 (CAT/C/SR.1164). A. Introduction (2) The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party for accepting the optional reporting procedure and for having submitted its periodic report under it, as it GE.13-46043 121