Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention
against Torture and O ther Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment
T w e lf th meeting
Summary record of the 15th meeting
Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Tuesday, 13 October 2009, at 10 a.m.
Chairperson:Ms. Overvad(Denmark)
Temporary C hairperson: Mr. Ndiaye(Representative of the Secretary-General)
Contents
Opening of the meeting by the Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
Election of the Chairperson
Adoption of the agenda
Election of officers of the meeting
Election of five members of the Committee against Torture to replace those whose terms of office will expire on 31 December 2009, in accordance with article 17, paragraphs 1 to 5, of the Convention
The meeting was called to order at 10.20 a.m.
Opening of the meeting by the Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Temporary Chairperson, speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, declared open the Twelfth Meeting of the States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Since the Eleventh Meeting on 8 October 2007, the number of ratifications of or accessions to the Convention had increased to 146, which was a matter for satisfaction, although there was still some way to go before universal ratification was achieved. He welcomed the representatives of new States parties attending for the first time.
Briefly reviewing the work of the Committee against Torture, he said that since the Meeting of States parties in 2007, the Committee had considered reports submitted by 28 States. It had concluded seven confidential inquiries under article 20 of the Convention and made public the results. It had also registered 402 individual complaints under article 22 since 1989, of which it had considered 288. Moreover, the Committee had adopted a new procedure whereby it would adopt and transmit a list of questions to States parties, whose replies would constitute their periodic reports. The new procedure would facilitate the timely submission of focused reports but would increase the workload of the Committee, which would accordingly be requesting additional meeting time. In addition, the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) had now been ratified by 50 States parties; consequently, membership of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture would increase to 25 with effect from 2011. Lastly, the Committee had also pursued its efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on torture of the Human Rights Council and the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
Amendments adopted in 1992 by a Conference of the States parties to finance the Committee’s activities under the regular budget had been endorsed by the General Assembly but needed to be approved by two thirds of the States parties before they entered into force; to date, however, only 28 States parties had notified the Secretary-General that they accepted the amendments. He therefore urged States parties to take appropriate action to bring the amendments into effect.
Election of the Chairperson (CAT/SP/33)
Ms. Angell-Hansen (Norway) nominated Ms. Overvad (Denmark) for the office of Chairperson.
Ms. Mladineo (Croatia) seconded the nomination.
Ms. Overvad (Denmark) was ele cted by acclamation and took the Chair.
Adoption of the agenda (CAT/SP/33)
The agenda was adopted.
The Chairperson said that, in accordance with rules 2 and 3 of the rules of procedure of the meetings of States parties adopted by the States parties at their First Meeting on 26 November 1987 (CAT/SP/2/Rev.1), the Secretary-General, in his note of 14 September 2009, had invited the States parties to send representatives to the Twelfth Meeting and to forward the credentials of their representatives to him no later than one week before the date of the Meeting. As the Secretary-General had yet to receive proper credentials from some of the States parties represented at the Meeting, she suggested that, in accordance with rule 3, the representatives of those States should be entitled provisionally to participate in the Meeting, and she urged them to submit their credentials to the Secretary-General as soon as possible.
It was so decided.
Election of officers of the meeting
The Chairperson said that, in the light of previous practice, she took it that the States parties wished to elect one Vice-Chairperson.
It was so decided.
The Chairperson nominated Ms. Basilio (Philippines) for the office of Vice-Chairperson.
Ms. Basilio (Philippines) was elected Vice-Chairperson by acclamation.
Election of five members of the Committee against Torture to replace those whose terms of office will expire on 31 December 2009, in accordance with article 17, paragraphs 1 to 5, of the Convention (CAT/SP/32)
The Chairperson said that, under article 17 of the Convention, the five members of the Committee would be elected by secret ballot from a list of persons nominated by States parties. They would serve for a term of four years, beginning on 1 January 2010. The names of the candidates nominated by States parties were contained in document CAT/SP/32. Annex I to that document contained the names of the five Committee members whose terms of office were due to expire on 31 December 2009, while annex II contained the names of the five members who would continue to serve on the Committee until 31 December 2011. Biographical data on the candidates nominated, as furnished by the States parties concerned, appeared in annex III to the same document.
At the invitation of the Chairperson, Mr. Drumont Can ç ado Trindade (Brazil) and Ms. Elbahtimy ( Egypt ) acted as tellers.
A vote was taken by secret ballot.
The meeting was suspended at 11.15 a.m. and resumed at noon.
The Chairperson announced the results of the ballot, which were:
Number of ballot papers:128
Number of valid ballots:128
Number of representatives voting:128
Required majority:65
Number of votes obtained:
Ms. Belmir (Morocco) 84
Mr. Bruni (Italy) 88
Ms. Hadj Salah (Algeria) 76
Mr. Hammed (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya)24
Mr. Kovalev (Russian Federation) 74
Mr. Mariño Menéndez (Spain) 77
Mr. Rakotoniaina (Madagascar) 27
Ms. Sveaass (Norway) 78
Mr. Wang Xuexian (China)91
Having obtained the required majority and the largest number of votes, Ms. Belmir (Morocco), Mr. Bruni (Italy), Mr. Mariño Menéndez (Spain), Ms. Sveaass (Norway) and Mr. Wang Xuexian (China) were elected members of the Committee against Torture for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2010.
The meeting rose at 12.10 p.m.