A/HRC/4/75 page 5 particular given the strong involvement of civil society organizations and national human rights institutions in the negotiations as well as the increased efforts to ensure physical and technological accessibility at the United Nations offices. 9. During the second session of the Human Rights Council, the High Commissioner and the President of the Council, Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba (Mexico), hosted a lunchtime briefing on the Convention for States representatives and observers to the Council. The High Commissioner highlighted a selection of provisions in the Convention such as the prohibition on torture and the right to education and their relevance to persons with disabilities. Greater country engagement 10. The Office has also participated in national level meetings aimed at disseminating information on the Convention. On 30 and 31 October, the Office participated in an international seminar on the Convention organized in Mexico by the Department of Foreign Affairs. On 20 November, a representative of the Office in Uganda participated in a meeting organized by the Government. On 30 November, the Office participated in a meeting hosted by the Department of Public Information in Moscow. On 1 December, the Office participated in a conference organized by Disabled Persons South Africa in Durban, South Africa, where the Office made a presentation on the Convention. On 20 December, the Office participated in a Conference on the Convention in Madrid organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Spain. In terms of technical cooperation, the Human Rights Unit of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is co-funding a project with the United Nations Development Programme concerning a radio programme designed to promote greater awareness and understanding of the situation of persons with disabilities. 11. In 2006, the Office, together with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) agreed to co-publish a “Handbook for Parliamentarians on the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”. The Handbook will be available in the second half of 2007 and is intended to enhance understanding of the Convention amongst parliamentarians and other actors at the country level. Closer partnerships with civil society and the United Nations agencies 12. The Office has also participated in inter-agency meetings on the Convention. In June 2006, the Office convened a meeting of Geneva based intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations working on human rights and disability with a view to disseminating information to relevant partners on the negotiation process. The Office participated in an Inter-Agency Meeting from 10 to 11 August hosted in New York by DESA to coordinate agencies’ work related to the Convention. On 30 November, the Office also participated in the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action Sub-Group in Geneva, in order to disseminate information on the Convention as it relates to assistance to victims of landmines. 13. The Office continued assisting national human rights institutions (NHRI) to participate in the negotiation process of the Convention. The Office sponsored the participation of the representative of the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs to the January and August sessions of the Ad Hoc Committee. In April 2006, the Office also provided a briefing on the negotiation process to the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs in Geneva.