-8- I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A. States parties to the Convention 1. As at 17 May 2002, the closing date of the twenty-eighth session of the Committee against Torture, there were 139 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 entered into force on 26 June 1987. 2. Since the last report Ireland, Lesotho, Mongolia, Nigeria and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have become parties to the Convention. Furthermore, Belarus withdrew its reservation regarding article 20 of the Convention. Azerbaijan, Mexico and Seychelles made the declaration under article 22, Uganda made the declaration under article 21 and Costa Rica, Germany and Ireland did so under articles 21 and 22. The list of States which have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention is contained in annex I to the present report. The States parties that have declared that they do not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for by article 20 of the Convention are listed in annex II. The States parties that have made declarations provided for in articles 21 and 22 of the Convention are listed in annex III. 3. The text of the declarations, reservations or objections made by States parties with respect to the Convention, are reproduced in document CAT/C/2/Rev.5. Updated information in that regard may be found in the United Nations Human Rights web site (www.un.org - Sample access - Site index - treaties). B. Sessions of the Committee 4. The Committee against Torture has held two sessions since the adoption of its last annual report. The twenty-seventh session (485th to 502nd meetings) was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 12 to 23 November 2001, and the twenty-eighth session (503rd to 528th) was held from 29 April to 17 May 2002. An account of the deliberations of the Committee at these two sessions is contained in the relevant summary records (CAT/C/SR.485-528). C. Elections, membership and attendance at sessions 5. In accordance with article 17 of the Convention, the Eighth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention was held at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 28 November 2001. The following four members of the Committee were re-elected for a term of four years beginning on 1 January 2002: Mr. Sayed Kassem El Masry (Egypt), Mr. Ole Vedel Rasmussen (Denmark), Mr. Alexander M. Yakovlev (Russian Federation) and Mr. Yu Mengjia (China). Mr. Fernando Mariño Menéndez (Spain) was elected for the same term. 6. All the members attended the twenty-seventh session except Mr. Antonio Silva Henriques Gaspar, whose term expired on 31 December 2001. All the members attended the twenty-eighth session. Mr. Camara did not attend the meetings of the pre-sessional working group of the twenty-eighth session.