A/HRC/24/55 justice issues, including in terms of how history was taught, which could provide useful practice for other parts of the world. The work of European mechanisms on gender issues was welcomed. Suggestions were made about cooperation with regional organizations in Africa, the Americas and Asia. The question of reprisals against human rights defenders who cooperated with the United Nations and European human rights institutions was also raised. 45. Furthermore mandate holders discussed the status of the implementation of the road map agreed at the dialogue between the special procedures of the Human Rights Council and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on 17-18 January 2012 in Addis Ababa. The Chairperson of the joint working group to advance and monitor the implementation of the Addis Ababa road map briefed the meeting on some of the activities carried out since the nineteenth annual meeting in June 2012. He highlighted the participation of a number of mandate holders in the ordinary sessions of ACHPR. The Chairperson drew attention to the fact that a number of special procedures of the African Commission had participated in events convened by United Nations special procedures mandate holders. There had been regular exchanges of information, such as notes forecasting the relevant activities of both systems; press releases and reports issued by both mechanisms; and information on vacant special procedures mandates. 46. During the discussion, mandate holders highlighted the added value of their interactions and cooperation with the African human rights mechanisms, particularly the special procedures mechanisms. Some mandate holders found it useful to engage with government delegations at the regional level on themes or countries falling within their mandates; others valued networking with civil society, particularly those active at the regional and national level; some mandate holders appreciated the possibility of discussing with African special procedures mechanisms issues that had not previously been extensively examined by those mechanisms. It was suggested that United Nations special procedures mandate holders could consider strengthening partnerships with all the African human rights mechanisms, including the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child as well as cooperating with subregional level mechanisms in the African continent. Mandate holders encouraged partnerships with other regional systems to be pursued gradually on the basis of a framework similar to that of the Addis Ababa road map. Interest in exploring further avenues for strengthening collaboration with the African special procedures mechanisms was expressed by a number of mandate holders in relation to the issues falling within their mandates. B. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 47. A delegation from UNODC outlined its mandate. It was also emphasized that the inclusion of a human rights dimension was a priority in combating organized crime. 48. UNODC supported the development of standards and norms relating to crime prevention and their implementation, by facilitating police reform, reform of prosecution services, the judiciary, improving treatment of victims, providing access to legal aid and juvenile justice and combating violence against women. UNODC expressed the desire to cooperate more closely with special procedures in areas relating to its mandate, which was being expanded by the Crime Commission that has called on it to develop further normative frameworks in relation to violence against children and the minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners. UNODC had collaborated with several rapporteurs. 49. Mandate holders posed questions on the work of UNODC with respect to replacing punishment of persons using drugs with treatment, as well as the use of the death penalty for drug-related crimes. Participants also raised the issue of specialized courts for organized 12