A/54/426 Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. The Special Rapporteur has also transmitted urgent actions to the Palestinian Authority. C. Government replies and follow-up communications 25. In its annual resolution on the question of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Commission on Human Rights has continuously called upon all Governments to cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, to supply all necessary information requested by him and to react appropriately and expeditiously to his urgent appeals. While many Governments have replied in an expeditious manner to his communications, many others have failed to do so. The table below shows the number of Governments that have replied to the communications. Year Number of Governments to which urgent appeals and/or cases were transmitted Number of Governments that provided replies 1994 42 20 1995 53 34 1996 48 41 1997 61 42 1998 45 28 1999 59 35 26. The Special Rapporteur analyses responses from Governments and then transmits the contents to the sources of the allegations, as appropriate, for comment. If required, dialogue with the Government is then pursued further. D. Visits 27. The Special Rapporteur does not, as a rule, seek to visit a country in respect of which the United Nations has established a country-specific mechanism such as a special rapporteur on the country, unless a joint visit seems to both to be indicated. As regards countries where the mandate of other thematic mechanisms may also be affected, he seeks consultation with them with a view to exploring with the Government in question, either jointly or in parallel, the possibility of a joint visit. Similarly, where the Committee against Torture is considering the situation in a country under article 20 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, especially if that consideration involves a visit or possible visit to the country in question, the Special Rapporteur does not seek a visit. 28. The Special Rapporteur carries out visits to countries on invitation, but also takes the initiative of approaching Governments with a view to carrying out visits to countries concerning which he has received information indicating the existence of a significant incidence of torture. Such visits allow the Special Rapporteur to gain more direct knowledge of cases and situations falling within his mandate, and are intended to enhance the dialogue between the Special Rapporteur and the authorities most directly concerned, as well as with the alleged victims, their families and their representatives and concerned nongovernmental organizations. The visits also allow the Special Rapporteur to address detailed communications to Governments. 29. With regard to countries in which visits have been carried out, the Special Rapporteur periodically reminds the Governments concerned of the observations and recommendations formulated in the respective reports, requesting information on the consideration given to them and the steps taken for their implementation, or the constraints which might have prevented their implementation. 30. Since he has taken up his mandate as Special Rapporteur on the question of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the Special Rapporteur has conducted visits to Rwanda (1994), the Russian Federation (1994), Colombia (1994), Chile (1995), Venezuela (1996), Pakistan (1996), Mexico (1997), Turkey (1998), Romania (1999) and Cameroon (1999). The visit to Colombia was undertaken with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. In response to a request by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Rwanda, the Special Rapporteur accompanied the latter on his first visit to Rwanda from 10 to 20 June 1994. At the time of writing the present report, the Special Rapporteur was also scheduled to undertake a visit to Kenya in September 1999, and the Government of China had agreed to a visit in the first part of 2000. Initial positive reactions from the Permanent Missions of Algeria and Egypt to the United Nations Office at Geneva to his requests for invitations to visit their countries did not yield the hoped-for invitations. His request for invitations to visit India, Indonesia, 7