COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE

Thirty-first session

Geneva, 10-21 November 2003

PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND ANNOTATIONS

Note by the Secretary‑General

1.The thirty-firstsession of the Committee against Torture will be held at the UnitedNations Office at Geneva (Palais des Nations) from 10 to 21 November 2003.

The first meeting of the session will be convened on Monday, 10 November 2003 at 10 a.m.

2.In accordance with rule 6 of the rules of procedure, the Secretary‑General has prepared, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, the attached provisional agenda for the session. Annotations to the provisional agenda are also attached.

3.Pursuant to rule 31 of the rules of procedure, the meetings of the Committee will be

held in public unless the Committee decides otherwise or it appears from the relevant provisions of the Convention that the meetings should be held in private.

4.The attention of the States parties is drawn, in particular, to the annotations to item 7, which contain the tentative timetable for the consideration of reports. In accordance with rule 66 of the rules of procedure, representatives of States parties are invited to attend the meetings

of the Committee when their reports are examined.

5.At its thirtieth session the Committee decided that a working group should meet prior

to its thirty-first session. The working group is scheduled to meet at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Palais Wilson, from 3 to 7 November 2003.

GE.03-43579

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1.Opening of the session by the representative of the Secretary-General.2.Solemn declaration by the newly elected member of the Committee.3.Election of a vice-chairperson of the Committee.

4.Adoption of the agenda.

5.Organizational and other matters.

6.Submission of reports by States parties under article 19 of the Convention.

7.Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention.

8.Consideration of information under article 20 of the Convention.

9.Consideration of communications under article 22 of the Convention.

ANNOTATIONS

1. Opening of the session by the representative of the Secretary‑General

The thirty-first session of the Committee will be opened by the representative of the Secretary‑General, who will make a statement.

2. Solemn declaration by the newly elected members of the Committee

In accordance with rule 14 of the rules of procedure (CAT/C/3/Rev.4), the members appointed under rule 13 to fill a casual vacancy will make the following solemn declaration:

“I solemnly declare that I will perform my duties and exercise my powers as a member of the Committee against Torture honourably, faithfully, impartially and conscientiously.”

3. Election of a vice-chairperson of the Committee

In accordance with article 18, paragraph 1, of the Convention, and rules 15 and 16 of the rules of procedure, the Committee shall elect from among its members a vice-chairperson to replace the member who occupied this function when he died.

4. Adoption of the agenda

Under rule 8 of the rules of procedure, the first item on the agenda of any session shall be the adoption of the agenda, except for the election of officers when required under rule 15. In accordance with rule 9, during a session the Committee may revise the agenda and may, as appropriate, defer or delete items; only urgent and important items may be added to the agenda.

5. Organizational and other matters

Under this item, the Committee may wish to consider its programme of work for the session, working methods and any other matter concerning the modalities of discharging its functions under the Convention.

36. Submission of reports by States parties under article 19 of the Convention

A. Reports received

In addition to the reports which are scheduled for consideration by the Committee at its thirtieth session, the Secretary‑General had received, by 22 July 2003, the reports of the following States parties:

Initial reports
Albania (CAT/C/28/Add.6)

Second periodic reports
None

Third periodic reports
Croatia (CAT/C/54/Add.3)
New Zealand (CAT/C/49/Add.3)
Chile (CAT/C/39/Add.5)
Czech Republic (CAT/C/60/Add.1)
Germany (CAT/C/49/Add.4)
Bulgaria (CAT/C/34/Add.16)
Ecuador (CAT/C/39/Add.6)
Austria (CAT/C/34/Add.18)

Fourth periodic reports
Greece (CAT/C/61/Add.1)
Argentina (CAT/C/55/Add.7)
Canada (CAT/C/55/Add.8)
Finland (CAT/C/67/Add.1
Switzerland (CAT/C/55/Add.9)

B. Reports due

The situation with regard to overdue reports as at 22 July 2003 is as follows:

State party	Date on which the report was due
Initial reports
Uganda	25 June 1988
Togo	17 December 1988
Guyana	17 June 1989
Guinea	8 November 1990
Somalia	22 February 1991
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5 March 1993
Seychelles	3 June 1993
Cape Verde	3 July 1993
Burundi	19 March 1994
Antigua and Barbuda	17 August 1994
Ethiopia	12 April 1995
Chad	7 July 1996
Tajikistan	9 February 1996
Côte d’Ivoire	16 January 1997
Democratic Republic of the Congo	16 April 1997

State party	Date on which the report was due
Honduras	3 January 1998
Kenya	22 March 1998
Bahrain	4 April 1999
Bangladesh	3 November 1999
Niger	3 November 1999
South Africa	8 January 2000
Burkina Faso	2 February 2000
Mali	27 March 2000
Turkmenistan	25 July 2000
Japan	29 July 2000
Mozambique	14 October 2000
Qatar	9 February 2001
Ghana	6 October 2001
Botswana	7 October 2001
Gabon	7 October 2001
Lebanon	3 November 2001
Sierra Leone	24 May 2002
Nigeria	27 July 2002
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	30 August 2002
Lesotho	11 December 2002
Mongoli a	22 February 2003
Ireland	10 May 2003
Second periodic reports
Afghanistan	25 June 1992
Belize	25 June 1992
Philippines	25 June 1992
Uganda	25 June 1992
Togo	17 December 1992
Guyana	17 June 1993
Brazil	27 October 1994
Guinea	8 November 1994
Somalia	22 February 1995
Romania	16 January 1996
Nepal	12 June 1996
Serbia and Montenegro	9 October 1996
Yemen	4 December 1996
Jordan	12 December 1996
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5 March 1997
Benin	10 April 1997
Latvia	13 May 1997
Seychelles	3 June 1997

State party	Date on which the report was due
Cambodia	13 November 1997
Burundi	19 March 1998
Slovakia	27 May 1998
Antigua and Barbuda	17 August 1998
Costa Rica	10 December 1998
Sri Lanka	1 February 1999
Ethiopia	12 April 1999
Albania	9 June 1999
United States of America	19 November 1999
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	11 December 1999
Namibia	27 December 1999
Republic of Korea	7 February 2000
Tajikistan	9 February 2000
Cuba	15 June 2000
Chad	8 July 2000
Republic of Moldova	27 December 2000
Côte d’Ivoire	16 January 2001
Democratic Republic of the Congo	16 April 2001
El Salvador	16 July 2001
Lithuania	1 March 2001
Kuwait	6 April 2001
Malawi	10 July 2001
Honduras	3 January 2002
Kenya	22 March 2002
Kyrgyzstan	4 September 2002
Saudi Arabia	21 October 2002
Bahrain	4 April 2003
Third periodic reports
Afghanistan	25 June 1996
Belize	25 June 1996
France	25 June 1996
Philippines	25 June 1996
Senegal	25 June 1996
Uganda	25 June 1996
Uruguay	25 June 1996
Togo	17 December 1996
Guyana	17 June 1997
Turkey	31 August 1997
Tunisia	22 October 1997
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	14 June 1998

State party	Date on which the report was due
Algeria	11 October 1998
Brazil	27 October 1998
Guinea	8 November 1998
Somalia	22 February 1999
Malta	12 October 1999
Liechtenstein	1 December 1999
Romania	16 January 2000
Nepal	12 June 2000
Serbia and Montenegro	9 October 2000
Yemen	4 December 2000
Jordan	12 December 2000
Monaco	4 January 2001
Bosnia and Herzegovina	5 March 2001
Benin	10 April 2001
Latvia	13 May 2001
Seychelles	3 June 2001
Cape Verde	3 July 2001
Cambodia	13 November 2001
Mauritius	7 January 2002
Burundi	19 March 2002
Slovakia	27 May 2002
Slovenia	14 August 2002
Antigua and Barbuda	17 August 2002
Armenia	12 October 2002
Costa Rica	10 December 2002
Sri Lanka	1 February 2003
Ethiopia	12 April 2003
Albania	9 June 2003
Fourth periodic reports
Afghanistan	25 June 2000
Belarus	25 June 2000
Belize	25 June 2000
Bulgaria	25 June 2000
Cameroon	25 June 2000
France	25 June 2000
Hungary	25 June 2000
Mexico	25 June 2000
Philippines	25 June 2000
Russian Federation	25 June 2000
Senegal	25 June 2000

State party	Date on which the report was due
Uruguay	25 June 2000
Austria	27 August 2000
Panama	22 September 2000
Togo	17 December 2000
Colombia	6 January 2001
Ecuador	28 April 2001
Guyana	17 June 2001
Peru	5 August 2001
Turkey	31 August 2001
Tunisia	22 October 2001
Chile	29 October 2001
China	2 November 2001
Netherlands	19 January 2002
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	6 January 2002
Italy	10 February 2002
Portugal	10 March 2002
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Poland Australia Algeria Brazil Guinea New Zealand Guatemala SomaliaParaguay	14 June 2002 24 August 2002 6 September 2002 11 October 2002 27 October 2002 8 November 2002 8 January 2003 3 February 2003 22 February 200310 April 2003

4. Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under

article 19 of the Convention

A tentative timetable for the consideration of reports at the thirty-first session, prepared by the Secretary‑General and subject to approval by the Committee, is given below:

Tuesday, 11 November 2003

10 a.m.Colomiba: third periodic reportCAT/C/39/Add.4

Wednesday, 12 November 2003

10 a.m.Morocco: third periodic reportCAT/C/66/Add.1

3 p.m.Colombia: replies

Thursday, 13 November 2003

10 a.m.Latvia: initial reportCAT/C/21/Add.4

3 p.m.Morocco: replies

Friday, 14 November 2003

10 a.m.Lithuania: initial reportCAT/C/37/Add.5

3 p.m.Latvia: replies

Monday, 17 November 2003

10 a.m.Yemen: initial reportCAT/C/16/Add.10

3 p.m.Lithuania: replies

Tuesday, 18 November 2003

10 a.m.Cameroon: third periodic reportCAT/C/34/Add.17

3 p.m.Yemen: replies

Wednesday, 19 November 2003

3 p.m.Colombia: conclusions and recommendations3:30 p.m.Cameroon: replies

Thursday, 20 November 2003

3 p.m.Morocoo: conclusions and recommendations3:30 p.m.Latvia: conclusions and recommendations

Friday, 21 November 2003

10 a.m.Lithuania: conclusions and recommendations10:30 a.m.Yemen: conclusions and recommendations11 a.m.Cameroon: conclusions and recommendations

8. Consideration of information under article 20 of the Convention

In accordance with the provisions of chapter XVII of its rules of procedure, the Committee will consider under this item information which is, or appears to be, submitted for its consideration under article 20 of the Convention.

In accordance with the provisions of article 20, paragraph 5, of the Convention and rules 72 and 73 of the rules of procedure, all documents and proceedings of the Committee relating to its functions under article 20 of the Convention shall be confidential and all the meetings concerning its proceedings under that article shall be closed.

9. Consideration of communications under article 22 of the Convention

In accordance with the provisions of chapter XIX of its rules of procedure, the Committee will consider under this item communications which are, or appear to be, submitted to it under article 22 of the Convention.

In accordance with article 22, paragraph 6, of the Convention and rule 101, paragraph 1, of the rules of procedure, meetings of the Committee or its subsidiary bodies during which communications under article 22 of the Convention are examined shall be closed.

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