New optional reporting procedure adopted by the Committee against Torture

At its 38th session (May 2007), the Committee against Torture adopted a new optional reporting procedure (A/62/44, paras. 23 and 24) which consists in the preparation and adoption of lists of issues to be transmitted to States parties prior to the submission of their respective periodic report (such lists are known as list of issues prior to reporting - LOIPR).

At this session, the Committee also met with States parties to introduce and discuss this new procedure, which will not be applied to States parties' initial reports neither to periodic reports submitted and awaiting consideration before the Committee.

The Committee is of the view that this procedure will assist States parties to prepare and submit more focused reports. These LOIPR, transmitted to States parties prior to the submission of their reports, will guide the preparation and content of their periodic report, facilitate the reporting process of States parties and strengthen their capacity to fulfill their reporting obligation in a timely and effective manner.

These LOIPR will be prepared and adopted, depending on the respective due date of each State party's report, and transmitted to the State party concerned, at least one year in advance of the due date.

The State party's response to the LOIPR will constitute its report under article 19 of the Convention.

After the submission of the State party's response to the LOIPR, no further list of issues will be submitted to the States party before the consideration of its report. For that reason, reports received under this procedure will be scheduled by the Committee for consideration as a matter of priority.

In 2007, the Committee initiated this procedure on a trial basis in relation to periodic reports falling due in 2009 and 2010.

Considering the positive feedback received and the high rate of acceptance of this new procedure by States parties, the Committee decided (See A/64/44, para. 27), at its 42nd session (May 2009), to continue with this procedure, on a regular basis.

At its 46th session (May 2011), the Committee did a preliminary evaluation of this optional reporting procedure for the period of reports due from 2009 to 2012. It considered the procedure as a positive cooperation step, as indicated by many States parties, decided to continue with the procedure and, starting with reports due in 2013, to seek the prior acceptance of States parties - that have not yet agreed to avail themselves of the procedure - before preparing and submitting them such list.

The Committee is currently evaluating the procedure and discussing possible options for its improvement, on the basis of the following report on the status of the procedure: CAT/C/47/2: E | F | S