A/HRC/RES/43/20 regarding issues and alleged cases concerning torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (b) To conduct country visits with the consent or at the invitation of Governments and to enhance further dialogue with them, and to follow up on recommendations made in reports after visits to their countries; (c) To study, in a comprehensive manner, trends, developments and challenges in relation to combating and preventing torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and to make recommendations and observations concerning appropriate measures to prevent and eradicate such practices; (d) To identify, exchange and promote best practices on measures to prevent, punish and eradicate torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (e) To integrate a gender perspective and a victim-centred approach throughout the work of his or her mandate; (f) To continue to cooperate with the Committee against Torture, the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and relevant United Nations mechanisms and bodies and, as appropriate, regional organizations and mechanisms, national human rights institutions, national preventive mechanisms and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and to contribute to the promotion of strengthened cooperation among the above-mentioned actors; (g) To report on all of his or her activities, observations, conclusions and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in accordance with its programme of work, and annually on overall trends and developments with regard to his or her mandate to the General Assembly, with a view to maximizing the benefits of the reporting process; 2. Urges States: (a) To cooperate fully with and to assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of his or her tasks, to supply all necessary information requested by him or her and to fully and expeditiously respond to his or her urgent appeals, and urges those Governments that have not yet responded to communications transmitted to them by the Special Rapporteur to answer without further delay; (b) To respond favourably to the Special Rapporteur’s requests to visit their countries, and to enter into a constructive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on requested visits to their countries; (c) To ensure, as an important element in preventing and combating torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, that no authority or official orders, applies, permits or tolerates any sanction, reprisal, intimidation or other prejudice against any person, group or association, including persons deprived of their liberty, for contacting, seeking to contact or having been in contact with the Special Rapporteur or any other international or national monitoring or preventive body active in the prevention and combat of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (d) To ensure proper follow-up to the recommendations and conclusions of the Special Rapporteur; (e) To adopt a victim-centred and gender-sensitive approach in the fight against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, paying special attention to the views and needs of victims in policy development and other activities relating to rehabilitation, prevention and accountability for torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and gender-based violence that constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; (f) To become parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Optional Protocol thereto as a matter of priority, and to designating or establishing independent and effective national preventive mechanisms for the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in a timely manner; 2