E/CN.4/1989/15 page 32 III. VISITS BY THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR 160. I t may be recalled t h a t , on several occasions (E/CN.4/198 7/13, paras. 22 and 87), the Special Rapporteur has expressed h i s readiness to t r a v e l to the t e r r i t o r y of a Member State with the consent or a t the i n v i t a t i o n of i t s Government, for the purpose of carrying out o n - s i t e consultations with the a u t h o r i t i e s , private organizations or individuals; such v i s i t s may take place not only on account of a l l e g a t i o n s of t o r t u r e , but on any other occasion for which a v i s i t may be deemed useful by the Government concerned. 161. In the conclusions and the reconniandations submitted t o the Commission a t i t s f o r t y - t h i r d session (E/CN.4/1987/13, para. 82), the Special Rapporteur s t a t e d t h a t "a society t h a t t o l e r a t e s t o r t u r e can never claim t o respect other human rights* the duty to eradicate t o r t u r e i s thus a primordial o b l i g a t i o n . Efforts t o r e a l i z e that goal should f i r s t and foremost be concentrated on the prevention of t o r t u r e " . 162. In 1987, the Special Rapporteur held consultations in Geneva with representatives of the Governments of Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay t o explore the p o s s i b i l i t y of a regional v i s i t for an exchange of views with the local a u t h o r i t i e s on preventive and remedial measures. I t was f e l t that such a v i s i t would help to contribute t o the eradication of the phenomenon of torture. 163. In t h i s connection, i t should be mentioned t h a t , on 31 August 1988, the Government of Guatemala sent the Special Rapporteur a formal i n v i t a t i o n to v i s i t i t s country. 164. In December 1987, the Special Rapporteur v i s i t e d Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay and submitted a report (E/CN.4/1988/17/Add.l) to the Commission on Human Rights a t i t s forty-fourth session. The Government of Peru expressed a preference for the v i s i t to take place in 1988, in view of the fact t h a t , during the period suggested by the Special Rapporteur, few, if any, of the o f f i c i a l s he wished t o meet would be a v a i l a b l e . 165. In 1988, in addition to the v i s i t t o Peru, the Special Rapporteur considered i t useful to extend his on-site consultations to other regions and held preliminary t a l k s with the Ambassadors of the Republic of Korea and Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva. By l e t t e r s dated 8 July 1988, he formally transmitted to those Governments dates and programmes for the proposed v i s i t s which were both accepted by the Governments concerned. The Special Rapporteur v i s i t e d the Republic of Korea from 24 to 30 September 1988 and Turkey from 31 August to 6 September 1988. 166. In the course of h i s v i s i t to Peru, the Special Rapporteur met the following a u t h o r i t i e s : Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Allan Wagner Tizon; Minister of the I n t e r i o r , Mr. Jose Barsalloj President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Juan Manuel Mendez Osborn; Attorney General, Mr. Pedro Sagastegui Urteagaj Vice-Minister of J u s t i c e , Mr. Rucio Galarzaj Government's Attorney and People's Advocate, Mr. Hugo Denegri Cornejo; Vice-Mayor of Ayacucho, Mr. Jaime Urrutia; Prosecutor of Ayacucho, Mr. Cupertino F. Cuevas Floresj and the Resident Representative of the UNDP Office in Peru, Mr. Pedro Mercader. 167. In the Republic of Korea he met the Director of the International Organizations and Treaties Bureau, Mr. Sai-Taik Kimj the Director of the