A/RES/59/182 11. Notes with appreciation that one hundred and thirty-nine States have become parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,1 and urges all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention as a matter of priority; 12. Invites all States parties to the Convention that have not yet done so to consider making the declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention and to consider the possibility of withdrawing their reservations to article 20, and urges all States parties to notify the Secretary-General of their acceptance of the amendments to articles 17 and 18 of the Convention as soon as possible; 13. Urges States parties to comply strictly with their obligations under the Convention, including, in view of the high number of reports not submitted, their obligation to submit reports in accordance with article 19 of the Convention, and invites States parties to incorporate a gender perspective and information concerning children and juveniles when submitting reports to the Committee against Torture; 14. Calls upon States parties to give early consideration to signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which was adopted on 18 December 2002 by the General Assembly in its resolution 57/199 and which provides further measures for use in the fight against and prevention of torture, and notes in this context that ratifications by twenty States parties are required for the Optional Protocol to enter into force; 15. Welcomes the work of the Committee against Torture and the report of the Committee, 4 submitted in accordance with article 24 of the Convention; 16. Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in conformity with her mandate established by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141 of 20 December 1993, to continue to provide, at the request of Governments, advisory services for the preparation of national reports to the Committee and for the prevention of torture, as well as technical assistance in the development, production and distribution of teaching material for this purpose; 17. Urges States parties to take fully into account the conclusions and recommendations made by the Committee after its consideration of their reports; 18. Notes with appreciation the interim report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 5 on the overall trends and developments with regard to his mandate, and encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue to include in his recommendations proposals on the prevention and investigation of torture, including its gender-based manifestations; 19. Requests the Special Rapporteur to continue to consider including in his report information on the follow-up by Governments to his recommendations, visits and communications, including progress made and problems encountered; 20. Calls upon all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of his task, to supply all necessary information requested by the Special Rapporteur, to respond appropriately and expeditiously to _______________ 4 5 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 44 (A/59/44). See A/59/324. 3