6. At the session prior to the one at which a periodic report will be considered, the Committee draws up a list of issues to be transmitted to the State in question at least two months before the consideration of the report. Such list is prepared, inter alia, on the basis of the information contained in the report, the recommendations addressed by the Committee to the State in the past and information originating from non-governmental sources. 7. The lists of issues are intended to focus the dialogue with the States on matters of particular interest for the Committee. Replies to them are to be provided orally during the consideration of the report. The State party may, at its discretion, submit the responses also in writing for distribution to the Committee members two weeks prior to the date on which the report will be considered by the Committee. Written responses will not be translated. They will be made available to the public by inclusion on the OHCHR web site in the language of submission. Consideration of reports of States parties 8. The Committee holds two sessions annually, a two-week session in November and a three-week session in May. Five to seven States parties are invited to present their reports at each session. 9. The consideration of a report usually takes the form of a dialogue between the delegation from the reporting State and the Committee. The aim of the dialogue is to enhance the Committee’s understanding of the situation in the State party as it pertains to the Convention and to provide advice on how to improve the implementation of the Convention. Exceptionally, the Committee may consider a report in the absence of representatives of the State party when, after being notified, they fail to appear before the Committee and do not provide strong reasons.c 10. Two public meetings, an initial half-day morning meeting and another in the afternoon of the following day, are generally devoted to the consideration of a report. The first meeting begins with a presentation by the State party representatives in which they should make an introduction highlighting, inter alia, new developments since the submission of the report and respond to the list of issues previously sent by the Committee. Such presentation should not last more than 90 minutes. Afterwards, the country rapporteurs and other Committee members make comments and seek additional information related to issues they consider as requiring further clarification. They can also raise matters that had not been referred to in the initial list of issues. 11. It is the Committee’s practice that individual members refrain from participating in any aspect of the consideration of the reports of the States parties of which they are nationals. 12. Press releases in English and French are issued immediately by the United Nations Information Service regarding the meetings at which a State party report is considered. Summary records are also issued during or after the closure of the session, in English or French. 13. The official languages of the Committee being English, French, Russian and Spanish, interpretation from and into these languages is provided during all official meetings. The State party reports and other relevant documents are also made available in these languages. State party reports submitted in Arabic or Chinese are issued as official documents also in the original language. Arabic and Chinese interpretation is made available when State representatives wish to use these languages. 112