A/HRC/28/68 10. On 9 September 2014, the Special Rapporteur held a lecture on the theme “the Argentine experience and the emergence of a universal right to truth” at the Duke Human Rights Center at the Franklin Humanities Institute. 11. On 20 October 2014, the Special Rapporteur presented his interim report on the role of forensic and medical science in the prevention of torture to the General Assembly (A/69/387). He also participated in side events and met with representatives of permanent missions and civil society organizations. 12. From 3 to 7 November 2014, the Special Rapporteur conducted a country visit to the Gambia at the invitation of the Government. 13. On 10 and 11 November 2014, the Special Rapporteur held an expert consultation in Washington, D.C. on the theme “Children deprived of their liberty” with support of the Anti-Torture Initiative and the Ford Foundation. 14. On 14 November 2014, the Special Rapporteur held a presentation at the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas, as part of an event entitled “Mainstreaming torture: ethical approaches in the post-9/11 United States”. 15. On 19 November 2014, the Special Rapporteur held a presentation at a reception organized by the World Organization against Torture for the launch of the new edition of its publication Seeking Remedies for Torture Victims: A Handbook on the Individual Complaints Procedures of the UN Treaty Bodies. III. Torture and ill-treatment of children deprived of their liberty 16. Children deprived of their liberty are at a heightened risk of violence, abuse and acts of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Even very short periods of detention can undermine a child’s psychological and physical well-being and compromise cognitive development. Children deprived of liberty are at a heightened risk of suffering depression and anxiety, and frequently exhibit symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder. Reports on the effects of depriving children of liberty have found higher rates of suicide and self-harm, mental disorder and developmental problems. 17. The unique vulnerability of children deprived of their liberty requires higher standards and broader safeguards for the prevention of torture and ill-treatment. Specific practices and issues, such as segregation, the organization and administration of detention facilities, disciplinary sanctions, opportunities for rehabilitation, the training of specially qualified personnel, family support and visits, the availability of alternative measures, and adequate monitoring and oversight, require specific attention and modified standards. 18. For the above reasons, the Special Rapporteur has chosen to dedicate his thematic report to the unique forms of protection due to children deprived of their liberty and the particular obligations of States with regard to preventing and eliminating torture and illtreatment of children in the context of deprivation of liberty. A. Legal framework and international standards 19. A number of international human rights treaties are relevant to torture and other illtreatment in the context of children deprived of their liberty. These include the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishmentand the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as regional treaties, such as African, Inter-American and European regional instruments. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is lex specialis on the human rights protections afforded to children. 4