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I.
ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS
A.
States parties to the Convention
1.
As at 8 May ls92, the closing date of the eighth session of the
Committee against Torture, there were 67 States parties to the Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution
39/46 of 10 December 1984 and opened for signature and ratification in New
York on 4 February 1985. It entered into force on 26 June 1987 in accordance
with the provisions of its article 27. A list of States which have signed,
ratified or acceded to the Convention together with an indication of those
that have made declarations under articles 21 and 22 of the Convention is
contained in annex I to the present report.
2.
The texts of the declarations. reservations or objections made by States
parties with respect to the Convention are reproduced in document
CAT/C/2/Rev.2.
B.
Opening and
dur~tion
of the sessions
3.
The Committee against Torture held two sessions since the adoption of
its last annual report. The seventh and eighth sessions of the Committee were
held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 11 to 21 November 1991 and
from 27 April to 8 May 1992.
4.
At its seventh session, the Committee held 16 meetings (88th to 103rd
meeting) and at its eighth session, the Committee held 15 meetings (104th to
118th meeting). An account of the deliberations of the Committee at its
seventh and eighth sessions is contained in the relevant summary records
(CAT/C/SR.88-118).
C.
Membership and attendance
5.
In accordance with article 17 of the Convention, the Third Meeting of
the States parties to the Convention was convened by the Secretary-General at
the United Nations Office at Geneva, on 26 November. 1991. The following five
members of the Committee were elected for a term of four years beginning on
1 January 1992: Mr. Hassib Ben Arnmar, Mr. Peter Thomas Burns,
Mr. Fawzi El Ibrashi, Mr. Ricardo Gil Lavedra and Mr. Hugo Lorenzo. The list
of the members, together with an indication of the duration of their term of
Office, appears in annex 11 to the present report.
6.
All the members attended the seventh session of the Committee except
Ms. Socorro Diaz Palacios. The eighth session of the Committee was attended
by all the members except Mr. Gil Lavedra. who attended only part of that
session.
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