United Nations
Convention against Torture
and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment
CAT/C/ATG/CO/1
Distr.: General
30 August 2017
Original: English
Committee against Torture
Concluding observations on Antigua and Barbuda in the
absence of a report*
1.
In the absence of the initial report of the State party, the Committee against Torture
considered the status of implementation of the Convention in Antigua and Barbuda at its
1543rd and 1545th meetings (see CAT/C/SR.1543 and 1545), held on 24 and 25 July 2017.
In accordance with rule 67, paragraph 3, of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the
Committee notified the State party that it intended to examine the measures taken to protect
or give effect to the rights recognized in the Convention in the absence of a report and to
adopt concluding observations. The Committee discussed information obtained from
national and international sources, including other United Nations mechanisms, and
adopted the present concluding observations at its 1563rd meeting, held on 8 August 2017.
A.
Introduction
2.
Antigua and Barbuda acceded to the Convention on 19 July 1993. The State party
was under an obligation to submit its initial report under article 19 (1) of the Convention by
17 August 1994. Each year thereafter, Antigua and Barbuda was included in the list of
States parties with overdue reports in the annual report which the Committee submits to the
States parties and the General Assembly. By a letter dated 10 December 2015, the
Committee reminded the State party about the overdue initial report and the possibility for
the Committee to proceed with a review in the absence of a report as a result of the
extended delay in its submission. In the same letter, the Committee also invited the State
party to accept the simplified reporting procedure to assist it in preparing its overdue report.
On 15 August 2016, the Committee informed the State party of the possibility of reviewing
the situation in the State party in the absence of a report at its sixty-first session, in
accordance with rule 67, paragraph 3, of its rules of procedure. By a letter dated 18
December 2016, the Committee informed the State party that it would proceed with the
review in the absence of a report at its sixty-first session. The State party never responded
to these communications. On 15 May and 9 June 2017, reminders were sent offering the
State party the possibility of participation by a delegation via video conference. On 21 June,
a representative of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda stated
in her email correspondence with the Secretariat that the Government would participate in
the review via videoconference. From 30 June until the beginning of the sixty-first session,
the secretariat of the Committee made numerous requests for a test for a video conference
to be carried out prior to the dialogue. The State party did not respond to any of the requests.
In his letter dated 19 July 2017, the Chair of the Committee requested the State party to
confirm its continued commitment to its participation in the country review and promptly
arrange a test for a video conference. In email communications dated 19 and 20 July, the
* Adopted by the Committee at its sixty-first session (24 July-11 August 2017).
GE.17-15034(E)