Committee against Torture

Forty-fifth session

Summary record of the 967th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Tuesday, 9 November 2010, at 3 p.m.

Chairperson:Mr. Grossman

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention (continued)

Second periodic report of the Kingdom of Cambodia

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention (continued)

Second periodic report of the Kingdom of Cambodia (CAT/C/KHM/2)

1.At the invitation of the Chairperson, the delegation of Cambodia took places at the Committee table.

2.Mr. Sun Suon (Cambodia), recalling Cambodia’s tragic past, said that the country’s economic, social and cultural fabric had been completely destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime. Its people had suffered torture, summary execution, starvation and other types of ill-treatment but had also shown courage and perseverance in the face of the challenges posed by the peacebuilding, national reconciliation, reconstruction and development processes, notably in the field of human rights.

3.The 1993 Constitution guaranteed fundamental human rights, including equality before the law, and prohibited discrimination. Cambodia had achieved remarkable progress in the fields of democratization and political, economic, social and cultural rights and had established many institutions and legislative bodies with a view to promoting and protecting human rights. To that end, it cooperated closely with United Nations agencies and special procedures mandate holders, for example the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Cambodia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Cambodia country office, as well as with the numerous NGOs registered in the country, and civil society. In order to address the atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge regime his Government, in cooperation with the United Nations, had established the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia for the prosecution of crimes committed during the period of Democratic Kampuchea. Prosecution of Case No. 1 had been completed, a verdict having been handed down on 26 July 2010. The Extraordinary Chambers were working closely with the United Nations for the prosecution of Case No. 2.

4.In recent years a number of legislative and judicial reforms had been undertaken and numerous laws adopted; many of them had strengthened the protection of human rights, including the Convention rights. The important steps taken since 2009 to strengthen the country’s legal and institutional framework with a view to combating torture and ill-treatment included adoption of the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Anti-Corruption Law. Efforts were likewise under way to draft new laws on the correctional system, juvenile justice and the establishment of a national human rights institution. In August 2009, in accordance with its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention, his Government had established an inter-ministerial committee, made up of senior officials and chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior, to act as a national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture. Also, the death penalty had been abolished in 1993.

5.Immediately following Cambodia’s accession to the Convention, the Ministry of Justice had instructed prosecutors to inspect detention centres and ensure that persons guilty of acts of cruelty were disciplined. It had also issued a circular to the effect that any police officer who used torture to obtain a statement would be demoted or dismissed. His Government had adopted additional measures to monitor prisons and police facilities and had furthered the roles of the respective authorities. For example, article 509 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provided that the Prosecutor-General of the Court of Appeals, the Prosecutor, the President of the Investigation Chamber and investigating judges should perform regular inspections of prisons. The National Human Rights Committee and the Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly had the right to inspect prisons, and relevant NGOs were allowed to visit prisons. Furthermore, various organizations, for example the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defence of Human Rights (LICADHO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) monitored and investigated allegations of torture in prisons. The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture had also undertaken a mission to Cambodia and had had free access to detention centres and police facilities.

6.His Government had taken steps to improve living conditions in prisons. It had, for instance, issued a decree doubling the daily food allowance for detainees and had set minimum design standards for prison refurbishment. A programme to support prison reform had been adopted with a view to facilitating the transformation of the prison system from one of confinement to one of rehabilitation.

7.While the Criminal Code did not specifically define the crime of torture, any act causing physical injury could be considered torture under article 31 of the Constitution, which guaranteed respect for the human rights set forth in the relevant international instruments, including the Convention. The Criminal Code penalized torture, incitement to torture, or any involvement in or consent to torture by public officials acting in their official capacity. The new Code of Criminal Procedure introduced new procedures and guidelines relating to police investigations, to interrogations and to the trials.

8.The Ministry of Justice and the Royal Academy for Judicial Professions had held training courses on the judicial reforms for law enforcement officials, including judges, prosecutors and the judicial police. The Royal Academy for National Police also conducted courses on the new Code of Criminal Procedure for police officers at all levels.

9.While progress had been made in a number of areas, his Government was aware of remaining shortcomings, many of them attributable to lack of human and financial resources, and realized that much remained to be done, in particular with regard to the legislative and institutional framework. His Government was persevering in its efforts to respect its obligations relating to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. It would continue to need the support and cooperation of the international community for the implementation of the Convention and its Optional Protocol.

10.Ms. Gaer (First Country Rapporteur) recalling that the State party had not been represented during the Committee’s consideration of its initial report, invited the delegation to comment on the way the report had been considered and on the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations (CAT/C/CR/31/7).

11.A joint report submitted by several NGOs stated that most officials responsible for law enforcement were unfamiliar with the provisions of the Convention and that, generally speaking, judges did not take the Convention into account when dealing with cases of torture or when interpreting domestic law. The Committee had also been informed that while the Constitution made international human rights instruments applicable, no court had ever referred to any international instrument, including in cases where the relevant domestic legislation was unclear. She would welcome any comments on those statements, as well as any information on measures adopted to educate law enforcement officials in the provisions of the Convention so that they took them into account as a matter of course.

12.The Committee was surprised at the State party’s response to question 25 of its list of issues, contained in paragraph 70 of the periodic report, according to which current legislation did not specifically identify torture and no statistics were therefore available on the number of prosecutions or of penalties imposed in specific cases of torture. The report also stated that cases of torture were prosecuted under the provisions relating to assault. The Committee would therefore like information on the number of recorded cases. Also, the State party claimed that the new Criminal Code contained provisions specifically criminalizing torture and ill-treatment. Could the delegation confirm that and provide the Committee with a copy of the provision of the Criminal Code 2009 that criminalized torture. The State party’s replies demonstrated the dire need to incorporate international instruments in domestic law; the delegation might shed light on any measures Cambodia intended to adopt to incorporate in its legislation the Convention definition of torture and whether it would reflect the four criteria relating to intentionality.

13.It was not clear from the information provided by the State party that exceptional circumstances could never be invoked to justify torture. Could the delegation confirm that that was so and refer the Committee to the relevant provision in its domestic legislation?

14.The Committee had been told that the Supreme Council of Magistracy Reform Law allowed for effective monitoring of the functioning of the judicial system and the manner in which judges performed their duties and that the Council would be authorized to deal with complaints of irregularities. According to information the Committee had received, however, the secretariat of the Council had been dissolved and its responsibilities transferred to the Ministry of Justice. She would appreciate the delegation’s comment and information and statistics on the mechanisms for monitoring the judicial system.

15.The Committee had been told that the rich or powerful frequently tried to influence the courts. It would be useful to know whether the new Anti-Corruption Law contained any provisions to effectively combat such practices. More generally, what measures had been taken to guarantee judicial independence and authority and how was the independence of the Cambodian Bar protected, including against any pressure from the executive branch? The delegation might also confirm reports that there were very few lawyers in the country.

16.As to the work of the Extraordinary Chambers established in 2007 to prosecute the leaders of the Khmer Rouge, there were allegations that they had been tainted by corruption and political interference, and she would like to know what measures had been taken to guarantee their independence. There had been reports that the Prime Minister of Cambodia had informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that no new trials would be authorized. That was of particular concern to the Committee because if there were no more trials thousands of victims of crimes at the hands of the Khmer Rouge, notably victims of torture or ill-treatment, would not receive redress. Could the delegation explain the Government’s reasons for not wishing other Khmer Rouge leaders to appear before the Extraordinary Chambers?

17.The Committee had been informed that most police officers were not being trained in modern investigation techniques and lacked the resources needed to undertake impartial and in-depth criminal investigations. Those gaps might lead them to rely on obtaining confessions by illicit methods, including torture or ill-treatment. She wondered whether a further investigation was ordered in cases where suspects had retracted their confessions. Most perpetrators of acts of torture or ill-treatment never seemed to be prosecuted, and were subject to merely disciplinary sanctions. Only two cases relating to acts of torture appeared to have gone to trial since the signing of the Agreement on a Comprehensive Political Settlement of the Cambodia Conflict (Paris Peace Agreement) in 1991. The Committee would like to know how many criminal proceedings had been initiated against members of the police or the prison service for acts of torture or ill-treatment and how many guilty verdicts, if any, had been handed down on the basis of the articles of the Criminal Code relating to physical assault. It would also like to know whether the new Criminal Code provided for minimum sentences for acts of torture or ill-treatment. Lastly, it would appreciate updated information on any developments in the investigation of the deaths of Heng Touch, Kong La and Mao Sok by torture or ill-treatment during preventive detention.

18.The Committee had learned that individuals who lodged a complaint of torture or ill-treatment were frequently encouraged to come to some mutually agreeable settlement with the alleged perpetrators and withdraw their complaint. Such negotiated settlements were said to be particularly frequent in cases involving sexual violence. In that context, the Committee would like to know the current status of the investigation into the rape of Meas Veasna, who, after accepting a million Riels from the alleged perpetrator to pay her medical costs, had persisted with her complaint with a view to seeing her alleged attacker prosecuted. More information on the number of prosecutions for acts of sexual violence in general, and sentences handed down, if any, would also be welcome.

19.The Committee would be interested in knowing whether the new Anti-corruption Unit had already investigated cases of corruption involving senior government officials in particular, and whether any charges had been laid. Information on the Unit’s members and the process for their appointment would be welcome.

20.Turning to article 2 of the Convention, she enquired whether it was true that the Code of Criminal Procedure did not guarantee the right of a minor detained by the police to so inform a family member. According to the report, any individual in police custody had the right to be examined by a doctor; it would be useful to know in what conditions. The report stated that under the new Code of Criminal Procedure the maximum length of police custody was 72 hours, yet there were reports that some suspects had been detained for longer before appearing before a judge. What guarantees were planned for preventing police custody from lasting longer than the legal maximum? Information on detainees’ right to consult a lawyer would also be welcome.

21.According to certain sources, the absence of an independent mechanism with a mandate to investigate complaints of torture was one of the major obstacles to full implementation of the Convention. It was alleged that very few cases of torture or ill-treatment were reported to the police because victims feared reprisals. Had the State party taken any measures since the submission of the current periodic report to address that situation? Were prosecutors authorized to order an ex officio investigation if such cases were brought to their attention?

22.As to article 3 of the Convention, she welcomed the establishment of a refugees office within the Ministry of the Interior. It would be interesting to learn whether that office had ever taken into account the danger of being subjected to torture when ordering the deportation of a foreign national. According to paragraph 23 of the report, in 2004 there had been 784 Montagnard asylum-seekers living in Cambodia in a camp supervised by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); as of 2009 there were still 110 persons in that camp. Information on what had become of the other 674 would be welcome, in particular to which countries they had been returned. Statistics in general on the current situation of asylum-seekers, including data by region and disaggregated by age, gender and country of origin, would also be useful. The Committee would like to know what progress had been made toward the establishment of a framework for the protection of asylum-seekers who were minors and unaccompanied refugees since the publication of the report under consideration. The Committee had learned that 20 Uighur asylum-seekers, including 2 children, had allegedly been returned to China in December 2009 without any investigation as to whether or not they might be subjected to torture or ill-treatment. Could the delegation comment on those reports?

23.Ms. Sveaass (Second Country Rapporteur) welcomed the delegation’s presence and expressed satisfaction at the State party’s ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, which testified to its determination to combat torture. It was essential that all the officials concerned should be trained to prevent torture as well as detect the sequelae of torture. She wondered whether the courses offered to law enforcement officials dealt with torture and ill-treatment and whether health-care professionals likewise received training. She also welcomed the fact that Cambodia had incorporated some of the key provisions of the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials in its criminal legislation and wondered whether police officers received training in the provisions of the Code. There were allegations that the police frequently accepted money from individuals arrested for drunkenness or acts of violence in exchange for dropping any charges; she wished to know whether that would be a violation of the Code and subject to disciplinary measures. She noted that, according to paragraph 33 of the report, medical practitioners received no special training in detecting signs of torture, but victims of the various types of violence were treated in accordance with the Code of Conduct of medical practitioners. She would like more information on the subject.

24.As to the right to redress, she would be grateful for any relevant information, including the number of cases in which compensation had been ordered for victims, and what other types of redress had been ordered, including rehabilitation. The statutes of the Extraordinary Chambers allowed the victims of the Khmer Rouge to seek “collective and moral reparations” (rule 23), whereas under article 14 of the Convention victims of torture or ill-treatment were entitled to individual and material compensation. She wondered if the delegation would care to comment. As to detention conditions, she recalled that the current occupation rate was in the region of 175 per cent and would like to know whether the State party had taken steps to remedy the situation.

25.Since young offenders were often detained in inhuman conditions and subjected to particularly harsh disciplinary measures in the provincial prisons, she sought information on the minimum age of criminal responsibility and the current status of the draft Juvenile Justice Law and whether that law provided for training for such groups as judges, lawyers, prison guards and other law enforcement officials who dealt with minors.

26.Under the Law on Kidnapping of Human Persons for Trafficking or for Prostitution (2008), any minor victim of one of those practices was placed in an education and rehabilitation centre or in the custody of a family member or legal guardian with a view to ensuring their protection, which seemed a satisfactory way to proceed. Regrettably, however, some adults responsible for exploiting those children seemed never to be inconvenienced; police interventions take custody of children and place them in “social welfare centres” sometimes resembled raids; and legal safeguards, in particular obtaining the consent of those concerned, were not always observed. For all those reasons, such placements could be considered tantamount to ill-treatment, or even torture. The delegation might indicate whether such police raids had become less frequent, as seemed to be the case in Phnom Penh, or whether, as claimed by Human Rights Watch, adult and minor sex workers were still frequently detained and placed in specialized centres without their consent.

27.She drew the delegation’s attention to the Prey Speu detention centre in particular, which, according to information in the Committee’s possession, had been the scene of grave human rights violations. Detainees were victims of violence and did not have access to rehabilitation services or vocational training; some had been detained but never prosecuted. Many former detainees at that centre had reported ill-treatment. She wondered whether the State party intended to investigate those allegations with a view to eliminating impunity and ensuring that such acts did not recur.

28.A report on the incidence of sexual violence prepared by Amnesty International stated that increasing numbers of women and young girls were victims of rape but did not have free access to justice or medical and psychological care. It should be remembered that States parties were required to guarantee those women free access to complaint mechanisms, protect victims in general and do everything possible to ensure that other women did not suffer the same fate.

29.In cases where individuals were placed in a psychiatric hospital, she would like to know what legal guarantees applied to protection against arbitrary committal and whether there were monitoring mechanisms in those hospitals and in institutions housing the disabled.

30.She wondered whether the national prevention mechanism established following the State party’s accession to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on 30 March 2007 was truly independent, given that it was an intergovernmental committee.

31.Mr. Gaye said that paragraph 9 of the periodic report did not deal with the abolition of the writ of capias, as indicated in the title, but rather the abolition of a summons requiring a suspect to appear before a court. That would seem to be against the rule of law.

32.Recalling that the Convention required States parties to expressly prohibit torture in their domestic legislation, he noted that the Code of Criminal Procedure did not fully meet that requirement and recalled that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever could be invoked as a justification of torture.

33.Paragraph 32 of the periodic report stated that under the Constitution of Cambodia a confession obtained by physical or mental force could not be used as evidence of guilt. He would like concrete examples of situations in which confessions obtained through torture or other violence had been disallowed, and further general information on the rules governing evidence in criminal matters.

34.With regard to paragraph 37 of the report, he wondered whether corruption and politicization were indeed crippling the justice system, as many NGOs had claimed, leading to long delays in proceedings, excessively long pretrial detention, and prison overcrowding. The delegation could perhaps say whether Cambodian law provided for alternative sentencing arrangements and, if so, what types.

35.The delegation might also indicate whether any steps had been taken to protect prison staff from possible reprisals if they refused to obey an order from their hierarchical superior to perpetrate torture or inflict cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment as a form of discipline. If not, that principle would be meaningless.

36.According to paragraph 54 of the periodic report, there were insufficient female prison staff to provide effective supervision of women prisoners. He therefore took it that NGO reports of widespread sexual violence against women detainees were true, and would appreciate more information on the situation.

37.The fact that the Constitution did not specifically give international instruments the force of law no doubt explained the lack of judicial decisions based thereon. Could the delegation provide more information in that regard?

38.Lastly, it seemed that the constitutional guarantee that a victim of any kind of torture had the right to bring a complaint before the competent court could not be applied in practice because torture was not defined as a crime under domestic law. That was a matter of concern for the Committee, which had been told that the security forces frequently used torture and that a general climate of impunity prevailed in the country.

39.Mr. Mariño Menéndez asked for more information on the Anti-Terrorism Law adopted in 2007, in particular with regard to: the precise definition of terrorism contained in the law; whether suspects could be held in secret preventive detention; whether they had the same rights as ordinary criminal suspects, including the right to the assistance of a lawyer; and whether their maximum period of pretrial detention was longer than that of common criminals.

40.The delegation might also indicate whether the Domestic Violence Law was applied in practice and provide examples, if any, of proceedings undertaken and sentences handed down.

41.He would like to know whether foreign children born on Cambodian territory automatically acquired Cambodian citizenship; what measures had been adopted to combat the worst forms of child labour; and whether, as claimed by some NGOs, the placing of children or sex trade workers in social welfare centres was tantamount to secret detention without judicial monitoring.

42.He would appreciate learning whether persons from the Khmer Krom minority who had not acquired Cambodian citizenship could be deported and, if so, whether any had been actually deported, and whether any Christian Montagnard asylum-seekers had been arbitrarily deported to Viet Nam by the local authorities in Cambodia’s north-eastern provinces. The delegation might also provide information on any State measures to protect union leaders, growing numbers of them having been allegedly assassinated, and on allegations that uncompensated forced evictions and expropriations had occurred under the land reform.

43.Ms. Kleopas deplored the climate of impunity in the State party and the fact that the national prevention mechanism was not independent, being chaired by none other than the Prime Minister.

44.Mr. Gallegos Chiriboga recalled that between 1.2 million and 1.7 million people, some 20 per cent of the population, had been killed under the Pol Pot regime, a further 20 per cent have been wounded in the war, mutilated by mines. He realized that the country’s reconstruction would take many years, not to say generations. It was nevertheless essential that the State party guaranteed victims of torture the right to obtain redress and fair compensation, in accordance with article 14 of the Convention.

45.Mr. Bruni asked how frequently the prison monitoring authorities, referred to in paragraphs 48 and 49 of the periodic report, actually visited prisons; whether those visits were announced in advance or surprise visits; what body was responsible for monitoring detention conditions in police stations, and whether reports on the latest visits were available.

46.The OHCHR Phnom Penh field office, in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, had launched a programme to support prison reform in 2009 with a view to easing the transition from a system of confinement to one based on rehabilitation of detainees. Information on its results would be welcome.

47.He wondered whether Cambodia had devised penalties that did not require detention, as a means of avoiding or reducing prison overcrowding. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, who had visited Cambodia three times in 2009, had reported to the Human Rights Council that since 2006 prison sentences were no longer being imposed for the crime of defamation. The Committee would welcome the delegation’s explanations of that measure and on any other measure taken to reduce overcrowding in the prisons. It would be particularly interesting to know how many people had benefited from that measure and what effect it had on the prison population rate.

48.In December 2009 the NGO Human Rights Watch had shared with the Committee its concerns about illegal arrests, arbitrary detention and acts of torture committed by law enforcement officers, including against drug addicts, and about the dearth of separate detention facilities for women and girls in the aforesaid situations. The delegation could perhaps respond to those allegations and provide clarifications on the subject.

49.According to paragraph 55 of the periodic report, sexual abuse was strictly prohibited in all prisons and correctional centres. It would be interesting to learn details accompanied by examples, of the penalties imposed on perpetrators of such acts.

50.Mr. Wang Xuexian welcomed the impressive efforts made by Cambodia to overcome its difficult past. He was aware of the many obstacles the State party had to overcome. He paid tribute not only to Cambodia’s rich culture and dynamic economy, but also to its progress on the protection of human rights. He wished to know whether the national preventive mechanism for the prevention of torture was authorized to receive complaints and initiate prosecutions or take action to ensure that court rulings were actually implemented.

51.Ms. Belmir noted that, according to the report, the maximum length of temporary custody was currently 18 months for a felony, 6 months for a misdemeanour and 3 years for a crime against humanity, but those periods were often unjustly exceeded owing to the failings of the justice system. The difficulties the State party encountered in its efforts to reduce the length of pretrial detention were understandable but could not justify inflicting such excesses on accused persons, some of them minors. There were also excessive delays for individuals who had been acquitted but nevertheless remained in detention because of the appeal procedure. Referring to acts of torture and ill-treatment inflicted on persons in pretrial detention, she stressed the need to do everything possible to ensure that those responsible did not go unpunished. In addition, the independence of the judiciary, the Constitutional Council and the Supreme Council of Magistracy must be strengthened overall.

52.The Chairperson, speaking as a Committee member, said that he had taken careful note of the establishment of a national preventive mechanism and asked whether that mechanism, which played an important role in preventing torture, would function in a completely independent manner. NGOs had complained that they had not been consulted with regard to the Anti-Corruption Law of March 2010 and asked how the State party intended to rectify that omission.

53.He welcomed the State party’s abolition of the death penalty and would like information on the detention conditions of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment. Information would also be welcome on the status of the law organizing the judicial system and the functioning of the courts; the law reforming the Supreme Council of Magistracy; and the law on the status of judges and prosecutors. He wondered if those much needed reforms could be carried out within the intended time frame. As for the new Code of Criminal Procedure, he asked if the delegation could perhaps say whether the maximum period allowable before a person in police custody had to be provided access to a lawyer had been modified and whether a detainee’s right to see a doctor of their choice was guaranteed. He would be interested in hearing the delegation’s explanations of why, under the new Code of Criminal Procedure, a judge had the authority to issue a warrant to appear without having first issued a summons. The delegation might also say whether the new Criminal Code prevented an individual from justifying acts of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment because he claimed to have been acting under orders. As for admission to the Cambodian Bar, the Committee would like to know how the list of candidates was prepared, in particular whether there was a limit on their number. It would also be helpful to learn the number of defence lawyers.

54.According to information received, including from NGOs but also from the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, legal professionals were often harassed and intimidated. Information in that regard and on steps the State was taking to remedy the situation would be welcome. As to detention conditions, according to the report, prisoners were used to build new prison blocks and new detention centres, and their food allowance had been doubled. It would be interesting to learn how many calories each detainee received per day, the idea being not only to ensure prisoners’ survival but also that those assigned to construction work were fit enough for the job.

55.Concerns had been raised about the professionalism of some judges. The delegation could perhaps remark on the subject and say whether any procedure existed for the removal of a judge from his position and, if so, how many judges had been removed. He would also like more information about redress for victims of torture. It had been said that Government officials could be prosecuted for torture. In that regard, it would be helpful to learn whether the courts, in addition to the sentences and penalties they inflict, also provided for reparation for the victims, such as monetary compensation.

56.The report indicated that a confession obtained by physical or mental force could not be regarded as evidence of guilt. It would be interesting to know whether, under the new Code of Criminal Procedure, the same principle applied to confessions implicating third parties. Cambodian legislation criminalizing rape was progressive and made rape, including marital rape, a crime. The delegation could perhaps give examples of prosecutions for rape and of the courts’ interpretation of the law. According to Amnesty International, Cambodian courts were not very sensitive to the problems arising from sexual violence. They might be more so if there were more women judges. He would like to know the proportion of women among the judiciary and prosecutors.

57.Mr. SunSuon (Cambodia) thanked Committee members for their interest in Cambodia, as evidenced by their many questions. His delegation would respond to those questions at the next meeting in a constructive manner, providing as much detailed information as possible, particularly on the Code of Criminal Procedure, based on information to be provided by the Ministry of Justice. With regard to judicial reform, his Government was participating in a multidimensional cooperation process with the international community, in particular with France on amendment of the Criminal Code; with Japan on amendment of the Civil Code; and with Australia on the drafting of antiterrorism legislation.

The meeting rose at 5.55 p.m.