A/HRC/10/24 page 12 D. Cooperation with regional human rights mechanisms 38. The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak, presented the activities undertaken over the past year in relation to cooperation with regional mechanisms. The former mentioned his participation in an OHCHR mission to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. He regarded such encounters as beneficial, as they provided a better mutual understanding of each organization’s structures, objectives and activities. It also gave him and OHCHR the opportunity to brief key staff members of the Commission on the special procedures. 39. The Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers suggested that exchange of information on communications and country visits be strengthened between the special procedures and the “rapporteurships” of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights specialized in the following thematic areas: freedom of expression; women’s rights; migrant workers and members of their families; human rights defenders; human rights of indigenous people; and human rights of persons deprived of liberty. A positive development was the establishment of focal points. With regard to country visits, the Commission and the special procedures were encouraged to use and compile each other’s information relating to individual cases, reports and recommendations. The Special Rapporteur suggested that identification and choice of mandate-holders’ visits be coordinated in advance with the Commission. 40. The Special Rapporteur on torture referred to his regular exchanges with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Organization of American States (OAS). He was regularly invited to attend sessions of these regional bodies, which were an opportunity to coordinate current activities. They also gave the opportunity to each player to harmonize points of view and opinions so as to mutually strengthen each mechanism. Of particular importance was the careful planning of country visits between regional human rights mechanisms to avoid duplication or to mutually reinforce their impact by ensuring follow-up visits. The Special Rapporteur regretted that a joint mission to Togo with the Special Rapporteur on prisons and conditions of detention of the African Union could not take place owing to lack of funding. 41. The Secretariat of OHCHR updated participants on three missions carried out by staff members of the Special Procedures Division at the end of 2007 to meet with representatives of regional human rights organizations. In October 2007, an inter-branch OHCHR mission travelled to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to identify ways to improve coordination between the inter-American human rights system and United Nations human rights mechanisms. Division staff members participated in the forty-second ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, held from 15 to 28 November 2007 in Brazzaville. The main objective of their participation in that session was to identify concrete areas for effective cooperation between OHCHR, the Commission Secretariat and with non-governmental organizations. In November 2007, a group of OHCHR representatives from all branches, including the Special Procedures Division, undertook a mission to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, to examine possible ways of increasing cooperation and making use of