COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF CHANGES IN RULES FOR REVIEWING INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS

CAT
28th session
6 May 2002
Afternoon





The Committee against Torture carried on this afternoon with its discussion of proposed changes in its rules of procedure relating to article 22 of the Convention against Torture. Under article 22, individuals may bring complaints before the Committee alleging violations by States that have declared they will accept the Committee's competence to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals. Forty-nine of the 129 States parties to the Convention against Torture have made such declarations.

Discussed by the Committee were proposals related to the establishment of a working group composed of no more than five members that could declare a complaint admissible or inadmissible; standards for determining the admissibility of complaints; interim measures in urgent situations relating to complaints to avoid irreparable damage to alleged victims; and methods for obtaining information, clarification, or observations from States parties in reference to complaints.

Once it has agreed on the proposed changes, the Committee, which has authority to amend its rules of procedure, will adopt them en masse.

The Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 7 May, to begin its consideration of a third periodic report from Luxembourg on national efforts to eradicate torture and other forms of ill-treatment.




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