A/HRC/34/16 (Argentina, Armenia, Benin, Brazil, Gabon, Germany, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Republic of Moldova and Sweden) and one eligible national preventive mechanism (Senegal) could have been submitted. Applicants could have requested grants of up to $25,000 for project activities to be implemented between 1 January and 31 December 2016. 7. A total of 19 applications were received concerning nine eligible States (Argentina, Armenia, Benin, Brazil, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay and Republic of Moldova). In accordance with the guidelines for applications, the secretariat of the Special Fund conducted an extensive evaluation of the project proposals received by the deadline in the light of the thematic priorities identified, taking into consideration the outcome of informal consultations held with members of the Subcommittee. Projects addressing any other specific recommendation in the visit reports that was considered pressing and compelling were also considered. After review, eight grants were awarded to projects aimed at implementing recommendations made by the Subcommittee in seven eligible States (Armenia, Benin, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay and Republic of Moldova), for a total of $184,107 (see annex). 8. Since its first call for applications for projects to be implemented in 2012, the Special Fund has supported a variety of technical cooperation projects in 11 countries worldwide. These projects resulted in legislative changes, for example bringing laws into line with international human rights standards on torture prevention (including revised codes of criminal procedure, prison acts and laws prohibiting abusive body searches for persons deprived of their liberty), as well as laws to establish national preventive mechanisms on torture; institutional changes, such as establishing or strengthening the effective functioning of national preventive mechanisms on torture or other relevant institutions; establishment of registers of detainees; operational changes resulting from enhanced knowledge and skills of judicial, law enforcement and medical personnel; as well as changes in people’s lives, including, in one case, a reported decrease in violence against children in detention facilities. The projects also contributed to increasing awareness of persons deprived of their liberty about their rights by developing and distributing manuals. Through its projects, the Fund has engaged with several national entities, including ministries of the interior and justice, ombuds institutions, hospitals and prisons, the police and civil society actors. 9. The projects addressed real gaps and needs in torture prevention identified by the Subcommittee on the ground, and were instrumental in implementing the Subcommittee’s recommendations. The Special Fund is unique in that it links the recommendations of an independent treaty-based expert committee to work on the ground, and can serve as an incentive for the publication of the Subcommittee’s visit reports. B. Other activities of the Special Fund 10. In 2016, the dire financial situation of the Special Fund required further promotion and fundraising activities to solicit more contributions to enable additional calls for applications. The strategic direction of the Fund was reviewed to strengthen the role of the Subcommittee in the strategic leadership of the Fund, to simplify the procedures for applications and administration of the grants and to harmonize those with good practices established under the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture. 11. Consequently, during its twenty-eighth session, held on 18 February 2016, the Subcommittee decided to establish a working group composed of up to five of its members to support and advise on the strategic direction of the Special Fund and on selection and impact assessment of the projects, and to contribute to the fundraising for the Fund. The OHCHR Grants Committee continues, under a leaner procedure, to be accountable and to 3