A/HRC/13/39 16. From 14 to 17 December 2009, the Special Rapporteur travelled to Hong Kong, China, where he gave two lectures on the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the principle of non-refoulement, as part of the training programme for lawyers on Convention against Torture claims and refugee law organized by the Academy of Law and the Law Society of Hong Kong. He also gave a lecture on “The odyssey of a Special Rapporteur: Impact of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on domestic administration of justice in the AsiaPacific region” at the Department of Justice and a presentation on the Convention against Torture and the Covenant, as part of a training workshop for decision makers that was organized by the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. D. Press statements 17. On 13 August 2009, the Special Rapporteur, together with three other mandate holders, issued a statement expressing serious concern over reports of detainees being subjected to torture and harsh interrogations to obtain confessions, which were later used in a trial in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 18. On 2 October 2009, jointly with other special procedures mandate holders, the Special Rapporteur issued a statement expressing serious concern about the human rights violations in Honduras resulting from the events that took place in the country since the return of deposed President José Manuel Zelaya. 19. On 28 October 2009, the Special Rapporteur issued a statement in Johannesburg on the last-minute postponement of his visit to Zimbabwe. He welcomed the Southern African Development Community initiative and efforts to resolve the political crisis in the country and called upon the Government to allow the visit to go ahead, albeit in a modified form. On the explicit invitation of the Prime Minister, he travelled to Zimbabwe but was denied entry and held at Harare Airport overnight. Upon returning to Johannesburg, he issued another press statement, expressing his regret over his treatment by the Government. Despite recent, credible allegations of torture and ill-treatment, the visit unfortunately could not take place. 20. On 10 December 2008, on the occasion of the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and together with other special procedures mandate holders, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint statement calling for stronger global commitments and more determined action to defeat discrimination. III. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and State cooperation 21. Within the United Nations, human rights have been promoted and protected through cooperation between four main types of actors: States, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), independent experts and the United Nations Secretariat. 22. Formally speaking, States are the most important actors. Only States are members of the United Nations and its decision-making bodies. They also bear the primary responsibility for implementing international human rights standards and, at the same time, are the main perpetrators of human rights violations; no State is immune from violating human rights. 23. Civil society is one of the main sources of information about the factual situation of human rights implementation in all countries. By allowing international NGOs to actively participate, speak and distribute written reports in the former Commission on Human GE.10-10042 5