3XEOLFDWLRQRI&37YLVLWUHSRUWV 3XEOLFDWLRQRI&37YLVLWUHSRUWV ,QWURGXFWLRQ 26. Fifteen CPT visit reports were published during the period covered by this General Report, confirming once again the well-established trend of States deciding to lift the veil of confidentiality and place the Committee’s findings in the public domain. At the time of writing, 258 of the 301 reports so far drawn up have been published. A State-by-State table showing the current situation as regards publication of CPT visit reports is set out in Appendix 6. The Russian Federation continues to constitute a notable exception to the above-mentioned trend; however, there have recently been indications that the Russian authorities are rethinking their position on this matter. The CPT regrets that authorisation has still not been given for publication of the report transmitted to NATO more than four years ago on the Committee’s visit in 2007 to places of deprivation of liberty in Kosovo7 under the authority of KFOR. 27. In its Recommendation 1968 (2011) on “Strengthening torture prevention mechanisms in Europe”, the Parliamentary Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to set in motion the procedure of amending the Convention establishing the CPT in order to permit the automatic publication of the Committee’s visit reports and of the responses of the States concerned, subject to the possibility for a State to request postponement of publication for up to six months after transmission of the visit report. It is self-evident that the timely publication of the CPT’s visit reports can only increase the impact of its work. As has been repeatedly emphasised, authorising publication of visit reports can therefore be seen as one of the most important means of cooperating with the Committee. Nevertheless, the CPT has some misgivings as regards the proposal to provide for the automatic publication of the Committee’s visit reports no later than six months after their transmission. There may be exceptional situations when the rapid publication of a visit report would do more harm than good. More generally, the CPT is concerned that undermining the principle of confidentiality by providing for the automatic publication of its visit reports could upset the balance in the Convention’s provisions, to the detriment of the Committee’s future cooperation with States. 7. All references to Kosovo, whether to the territory, institutions or population, in this general report shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo. 

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