COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE

Thirtieth session

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE PUBLIC PART* OF THE 567th MEETING

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva,

on Monday, 12 May 2003, at 3 p.m.

Chairman: Mr. BURNS

CONTENTS

* The summary record of the closed part of the meeting appears as document CAT/C/SR.567/Add.1.This record is subject to correction.Corrections should be submitted in one of the working languages. They should be set forth in a memorandum and also incorporated in a copy of the record. They should be sent within one week of the date of this document to the Official Records Editing Section, room E.4108, Palais des Nations, Geneva.Any corrections to the records of the public meetings of the Committee at this session will be consolidated in a single corrigendum, to be issued shortly after the end of the session.GE.03-41756 (E) 140503 140503CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER

ARTICLE 19 OF THE CONVENTION (continued)

Provisional conclusions and recommendations concerning the initial report of Cambodia

Conclusions and recommendations concerning the second periodic report of Azerbaijan

CONSIDERATION OF INFORMATION UNDER ARTICLE 20 OF THE CONVENTION

(continued)

ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 3.10 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE CONVENTION (agenda item 4) (continued)

Provisional conclusions and recommendations concerning the initial report of Cambodia (CAT/C/21/Add.5; CAT/C/XXX/Misc.7)

The CHAIRMAN, speaking as Country Rapporteur, read out the Committee’s provisional conclusions and recommendations concerning the initial report of Cambodia (CAT/C/21/Add.5) contained in document CAT/C/XXX/Misc.7.

Mr. MARIÑO MENÉNDEZ said that it was important to highlight the fact that the list of conclusions and recommendations was provisional only; the title of the document should be amended accordingly.

The CHAIRMAN, having expressed his agreement, said he took it that the Committee wished to insert the word “provisional” before the word “conclusions” in the title of the document.

It was so decided.

The meeting was suspended at 3.20 p.m. and resumed at 3.30 p.m.

Conclusions and recommendations concerning the second periodic report of Azerbaijan (CAT/C/59/Add.1; CAT/C/CR/30/1)

At the invitation of the Chairman, the members of the delegation of Azerbaijan took places at the Committee table.

Mr. YAKOVLEV, Country Rapporteur, read out the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations concerning the second periodic report of Azerbaijan (CAT/C/59/Add.1) contained in document CAT/C/CR/30/1.

The CHAIRMAN said that the relatively extensive list of conclusions and recommendations reflected the seriousness with which the report had been prepared and with which the delegation had answered the questions put by members of the Committee.

Mr. NAJAFOV (Azerbaijan) thanked the Committee for its recommendations, which would be passed on to his Government. The Azerbaijani authorities would do their utmost to implement them.

The members of the delegation of Azerbaijan withdrew.

The public part of the meeting was suspended at 3.50 p.m. and resumed at 5.10 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF INFORMATION UNDER ARTICLE 20 OF THE CONVENTION (agenda item 5) (continued)

Inquiry concerning Mexico (continued) (CAT/C/75)

Mr. RASMUSSEN said that a report prepared by two rapporteurs following a visit to Mexico had been examined by the Committee, in accordance with article 20 of the Convention, and had been submitted to the Government for its comments. At the request of the State party, the Committee had authorized the publication of the whole report and the government responses thereto.

ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS (agenda item 2) (continued)

Question of press releases

After a discussion in which Mr. EL MASRY, Mr. MAVROMMATIS, Mr. RASMUSSEN, Mr. MARIÑO MENÉNDEZ, Mr. YAKOVLEV and Mr. YU Mengjia took part, the CHAIRMAN said that, in order to check the accuracy and enhance the value of the very useful press releases put out by the Department of Public Information (DPI), the Secretariat should briefly examine all press releases prior to publication and bring any inconsistencies or factual errors to the Committee’s attention. Furthermore, a representative of DPI should be invited to speak to the Committee about ways of enhancing cooperation.

Ms. RUEDA-CASTAÑON (Secretary of the Committee) said that approving press releases for publication would be a heavy responsibility for the Secretariat, and one that it would be reluctant to assume without a substantial input from the Committee.

Mr. MAVROMMATIS said that the chief value of press releases was their newsworthiness, and it was consequently vital they should be published almost immediately. That consideration alone militated against any extensive process of checking and referral.

The meeting rose at 5.50 p.m.