CAT/C/66/2 special procedures of the Human Rights Council, 3 the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. 28. On United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, 26 June, a joint statement was issued by the Committee against Torture, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture in Africa, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, calling for action marking the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to achieve a torture-free world. 29. The Subcommittee continued to cooperate systematically with other mechanisms, including by transmitting to the Committee against Torture suggestions for it to consider concerning States parties to the Optional Protocol, the reports of which are to be considered at forthcoming sessions of the Committee, and issues for it to consider raising with States parties under the simplified reporting procedure. 30. The Subcommittee continued to cooperate with the treaty body capacity-building programme, and in the framework of the technical assistance programme carried out in situ dialogue in Malta. 31. The Subcommittee continued its cooperation with the regional offices of OHCHR, the United Nations country teams and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, particularly in the context of its field visits. 2. Cooperation with other relevant international organizations 32. The Subcommittee continued its cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross, particularly in the context of its field visits. B. Regional cooperation 33. The Subcommittee continued its cooperation with regional organizations, including the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which included a reciprocal exchange of letters to give effect to article 31 of the Optional Protocol, with a view to reinforcing complementarity and subsidiarity. This important development is considered further in paragraph 47 below. The Subcommittee also participated in a follow-up in situ dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was organized by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. C. Civil society 34. The Subcommittee continued to benefit from the support of civil society, including the Association for the Prevention of Torture and a number of academic institutions such as the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol and the Omega Research Foundation. It has also benefited from its contact with civil society organizations 3 The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston; the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Koumbou Boly Barry; the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver; the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Leilani Farha; the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Víctor Madrigal-Borloz; the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Nils Melzer; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Dainius Pūras; the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Dubravka Šimonović; and the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice. 7