Secretariat of the CPT 97. During 2017, the numbers of staff in the Secretariat stabilised with all vacant positions having been filled. However, at the end of the year it became clear that two staff members would be on extended leave for a good part of 2018. Furthermore, the administrative practice of the Council of Europe in the area of human resources continues to pose significant risks for the stability and operational capacity of a small entity such as the CPT, with highly specific duties requiring specialised skills. In November 2017, the Committee of Ministers took note of the concerns expressed both by the Parliamentary Assembly and the CPT on this matter.9 Two significant developments which occurred in 2017 may produce effects in the course of 2018: the decision of the Russian Federation not to pay part of its contribution to the Council of Europe budget, and the announcement by the Turkish authorities that they would no longer be a “major contributor” to the Council of Europe budget, but would return to their statutory contribution. The CPT hopes that solutions can be found to enable it to continue to carry out its vital task of preventing torture and other forms of ill-treatment across the European continent. In its Recommendation 2100 (2017) of 26 April on the CPT, the Parliamentary Assembly invited the Committee of Ministers to ensure that the CPT is supported by an adequate secretariat with relevant professional skills and composed of staff members employed on a permanent basis. The Committee of Ministers replied to this recommendation on 29 November, underlining the importance it attaches to the work of the CPT, also taking note of the concerns expressed by the Parliamentary Assembly and the CPT about the need for sufficient stability amongst the staff members in the CPT’s Secretariat. 9. Reply adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 29 November 2017 to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2100 (2017) “25 years of the CPT: achievements and areas for improvement”. Organisational matters ► Page 33