10 CPT: 9TH GENERAL REPORT ORGANISATIONAL ISSUES The Convention and its Protocols 13. Following ratifications by Latvia, Lithuania and the Russian Federation in the course of 1998, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment became one of the few treaties drawn up within the framework of the Council of Europe to have been ratified by all its member States.3 In fact, ratification of the Convention is now considered as a sine qua non of membership of the Organisation. In this connection, it should be noted that prior to becoming a Member of the Council of Europe on 26 April 1999, the Republic of Georgia gave a commitment to ratify the Convention within twelve months of its accession. 15. Reference should also be made to Protocol No. 2, which is designed to introduce technical amendments to the Convention, capable of greatly facilitating the CPT’s work.5 This Protocol has no political ramifications. Consequently, the CPT must express its astonishment that almost six years after the Protocol was opened for signature, it has still not proven possible for four Parties to the Convention (namely, Andorra, Croatia, Portugal and Ukraine) to consent to be bound by the text, thereby preventing its entry into force.6 The CPT trusts that the decision taken on 19 January 1999 by the Committee of Ministers, urging the States concerned to take this step, will have the desired effect. 14. The number of Parties to the Convention can be expected to increase further in the years to come, either as a result of accession to the Council of Europe of new member States or following the entry into force of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention. Only three more ratifications (by Andorra, Croatia and Ukraine) are required for the entry into force of Protocol No. 1 ,4 following which the Convention will be “open” to non-member States of the Council of Europe. It is noteworthy that there is no geographical restriction upon the States which might be invited by the Committee of Ministers to accede to the Convention; theoretically, at least, the world will be the limit. The extension of the CPT’s activities beyond the borders of the Council of Europe would be a significant development from the standpoint of the protection of human rights and would bear witness to the Council’s credibility. At the same time, it would be necessary to ensure proper coordination with other treaty systems for the protection of human rights. 3 The state of signatures and ratifications of the Convention is set out in Appendix 1 A; the expansion of the CPT's field of operations is illustrated in Appendix 1 B. 5 Protocol No. 2 introduces amendments regarding the renewal of the CPT's membership and provides that members may be re-elected twice, rather than once as at present. 4 See Appendix 1 C for the state of signatures and ratifications of Protocol No. 1. 6 See Appendix 1 C for the state of signatures and ratifications of Protocol No. 2.