A/76/44 I. Organizational and other matters A. States parties to the Convention 1. As at 28 April 2021, the closing date of the seventieth session of the Committee against Torture, there were 171 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 2. Since the adoption of the Committee’s previous annual report (A/75/44), Oman and St. Kitts and Nevis acceded to the Convention, on 9 June 2020 and 21 September 2020, respectively. The Committee calls upon all States that have not ratified the Convention to do so, and calls upon those that are already a party to accept all the procedures of the Convention, in order to enable the Committee to fulfil all aspects of its mandate. 3. All information on the status of the treaty, including declarations under articles 20, 21 and 22 and reservations and objections made by States parties with respect to the Convention, can be found at http://treaties.un.org. B. Sessions and agendas of the Committee 4. Since the adoption of its previous annual report, the Committee held its sixty-ninth and seventieth sessions, online in a special format, and carried out other activities online, owing to the situation related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The sixtyninth session (1823rd meeting) was held on Monday, 13 July 2020, from 1 to 2.55 p.m., and the seventieth session (1824th to 1826th meetings) was held from 26 to 28 April 2021, with each meeting held from 12.30 to 2.30 p.m. 5. The agenda of the sixty-ninth and seventieth sessions are contained in documents CAT/C/69/1/Rev.1 and CAT/C/70/1. 6. An account of the deliberations and decisions of the Committee at the sessions that were held is contained in the relevant summary records of the public meetings (CAT/C/SR.1823, CAT/C/SR.1824 and CAT/C/SR.1826/Add.1). C. Membership, officers and mandates 7. The list of members, officers and mandates is contained in the annex. Due to the postponement of the sixty-ninth session, the three new members could not make their solemn declaration in open Committee to enable them to assume their duties, as required under rule 14 of the Committee’s rules of procedure. Given the exceptional circumstances resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the continuing travel restrictions and the related impossibility of holding in-person sessions of Committees in Geneva in 2020, the Committee decided that new members should deposit signed solemn declarations with the Secretariat and that the Secretariat would post them on the Committee’s web page. The deposit of declarations was announced during the online public session on Monday, 13 July 2020. At the next in-person session, the three new members will orally confirm their oath. 8. As provided for under rule 12, the Chair, members of the Bureau and rapporteurs may continue performing the duties assigned to them until one day before the first meeting of the Committee composed of its new members, at which it elects its officers. Given the exceptional circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in light of rules 12 and 14, the Chair, members of the Bureau and rapporteurs continued performing the duties assigned to them, and will do so until one day before the first meeting of the Committee at the next in-person session. On 18 March 2021, Jens Modvig resigned from the Committee owing to new professional responsibilities. Since then, Claude Heller has served as the acting Chair of the Committee. In accordance with the provisions of article 17 (6) of the Convention, the appointment of a Danish member of the Committee would be considered approved unless 1