A/74/44
Summary
The present annual report covers the period from 19 May 2018 to 17 May 2019,
during which the Committee against Torture held its sixty-fourth, sixty-fifth and sixty-sixth
sessions. As at 17 May 2019, there were 166 States parties to the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
During the period under review, the Committee considered, and adopted concluding
observations on, 16 reports submitted under article 19 of the Convention (see chap. III). At
its sixty-fourth session, it considered the reports of Chile, Mauritania, the Russian
Federation and Seychelles. At its sixty-fifth session, it considered the reports of Canada,
Guatemala, Maldives, the Netherlands, Peru and Viet Nam. At its sixty-sixth session, it
considered the reports of Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Mexico,
South Africa and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Committee deeply regrets the fact that some States parties do not comply with
their reporting obligations under article 19 of the Convention. At the time of reporting,
there were 26 States parties with overdue initial reports and 39 States parties with overdue
periodic reports (see chap. II).
The Committee’s procedure for following up on concluding observations continued
to develop during the reporting period (see chap. IV). The Committee expresses its
appreciation to those States parties that have provided timely and thorough information to
the Rapporteur for follow-up under article 19.
The Committee’s procedure under article 20 continued during the reporting period
(see chap. V).
Under article 22 of the Convention, the Committee adopted 25 decisions on the
merits and declared 7 communications inadmissible. Consideration of complaints was
discontinued in 22 cases (see chap. VI). A total of 932 complaints concerning 38 States
parties have been registered since the entry into force of the Convention, including 58 since
the writing of the previous report.
The Committee’s workload under article 22 remains significant, as demonstrated by
the large number of complaints registered during the reporting period and the Committee’s
efforts to reduce its backlog by considering an increased number of individual
communications. At the end of the sixty-sixth session, 178 complaints were pending
consideration (see chap. VI).
The Committee again notes that some States have failed to implement the decisions
adopted on complaints. The Committee has continued to seek to ensure implementation of
its decisions through its Rapporteurs for follow-up to article 22 (see chap. VI).
The Committee also paid particular attention to reprisals (see chap. I).
The Committee is concerned that the current financial crisis affecting the United
Nations may have serious consequences for the treaty body system (see chap. VII).
GE.19-11030 (E)
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