MEETING OF THE STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION AGAINSTTORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT
OR PUNISHMENT
Ninth Meeting
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE 11th MEETING
Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva,
on Wednesday, 26 November 2003, at 10 a.m.
Temporary Chairman: Ms. IZE-CHARRIN (Representative of the Secretary-General)
Chairman: Mr. DEMBRI (Algeria)
CONTENTS
OPENING OF THE MEETING BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY‑GENERAL
ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN
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 this Meeting will be consolidated in a single corrigendum.GE.03-45486 (E) 051203 111203This 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 this Meeting will be consolidated in a single corrigendum.GE.03-45486 (E)CONTENTS (continued)
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS
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 2003, 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
The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN declared open the Ninth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Since the Eighth Meeting, on 28 November 2001, the number of ratifications of or accessions to the Convention had increased from 126 to 134, and she extended a warm welcome to representatives of the new States parties attending the Meeting for the first time.
Briefly reviewing the work of the Committee, she said that during the four sessions held since the Eighth Meeting of States Parties, the Committee had considered reports submitted by 25 States. Under article 22, the Committee had registered 235 individual complaints since 1998. The results of five confidential inquiries conducted under article 20 had been made public; two other inquiries were in progress. The Committee had also pursued its efforts to strengthen cooperation with the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of torture, the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. It was anticipated that such initiatives would yield practical results in the future. The Committee had also welcomed the adoption of the Optional Protocol to the Convention and encouraged States parties to ratify the new instrument as a further step towards the prevention of torture.
Amendments to the Convention adopted at the 1992 Conference of States Parties which sought to finance the Committee’s activities under the regular budget of the United Nations had been endorsed by the General Assembly but had not yet entered into force for want of approval by two thirds of the States parties. Thus far, only 25 States parties had notified the Secretary‑General that they had accepted the amendments, far short of the total number needed for ratification. Accordingly, she asked all States parties that had not already done so to take appropriate action so that the financing of the Committee under the regular budget could become a reality, in keeping with the wishes of the General Assembly.
ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN
Mr. MONTWEDI (South Africa) nominated Mr. Dembri (Algeria) for the office of Chairman.
Mr. ALBIN (Mexico) seconded the nomination.
Mr. Dembri (Algeria) was elected Chairman by acclamation.
Mr. Dembri (Algeria) took the Chair.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA (CAT/SP/27)
The agenda was adopted.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS
The CHAIRMAN 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 had invited States parties to forward the credentials of their representatives to him as soon as possible and in any case no later than one week before the date of the Meeting. The Secretary-General had yet to receive proper credentials from some of the States parties represented at the Meeting, and he urged the representatives of those States to ensure that their credentials were submitted as soon as possible. He then suggested that, in accordance with rule 3, the representatives of those States parties should be entitled provisionally to participate in the Meeting.
It was so decided.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE MEETING
The CHAIRMAN said that, under rule 4 of the rules of procedure, the Meeting was required to elect up to four vice-chairmen from among the representatives of States parties. Traditionally, the States parties had decided to elect one vice-chairman only. He suggested that they should again elect only one vice-chairman.
It was so decided.
Mr. METSCHER (Germany) nominated Mr. Ferguson (Canada) for the office of Vice‑Chairman.
Mr. SKURATOVSKY (Ukraine) seconded the nomination.
Mr. Ferguson (Canada) was elected Vice-Chairman by acclamation.
ELECTION OF FIVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE TO REPLACE THOSE WHOSE TERMS OF OFFICE WILL EXPIRE ON 31 DECEMBER 2003, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 17, PARAGRAPHS 1 TO 5, OF THE CONVENTION (CAT/SP/26)
The CHAIRMAN 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 2004.
The names of the candidates nominated by States parties were contained in document CAT/SP/26. Annex I to that document contained the names of the five members of the Committee against Torture whose terms were due to expire on 31 December 2003, while annex II contained the names of the five members who would continue to serve on the Committee until 31 December 2005. Biographical data of the persons nominated, as furnished by the States parties concerned, appeared in annex III to that document.
At the invitation of the Chairman, Ms. Matsuoka (Japan) and Mr. Zidar (Slovenia) acted as tellers.
A vote was taken by secret ballot.
The meeting was suspended at 11.15 a.m. and resumed at noon.
The CHAIRMAN announced the results of the ballot, which were:
Number of ballot papers:112
Invalid ballots: 0
Number of valid ballots:112
Abstentions: 0
Number of representatives voting:112
Required majority: 57
Number of votes obtained:
Ms. Beridze (Georgia) 17Mr. Camara (Senegal) 79Ms. Gaer (United States of America) 92Mr. Grossman (Chile) 87Mr. Hejc (Czech Republic) 68Mr. Ibayev (Azerbaijan) 28Mr. Mavrommatis (Cyprus) 78Mr. Mindua (Democratic Republic of the Congo) 26Mr. Prado Vallejo (Ecuador) 70
Having obtained the required majority and the largest number of votes, Mr. Camara (Senegal), Ms. Gaer (United States of America), Mr. Grossman (Chile), Mr. Mavrommatis (Cyprus) and Mr. Prado Vallejo (Ecuador) were elected members of the Committee against Torture for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2004.
The meeting rose at 12.15 p.m.