CAT/C/48/3 Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 14 Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 13 5. The regional breakdown of signatory States which are yet to ratify the Optional Protocol is now as follows: States that have signed but not ratified the Optional Protocol, by region (total 24) B. Africa 8 Asia 2 Eastern Europe 1 Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) 2 Group of Western European and Other States (WEOG) 11 Organizational and membership issues 6. During the reporting period (1 January to 31 December 2011), the Subcommittee held three one-week sessions at the United Nations Office in Geneva, from 21 to 25 February, from 20 to 24 June and from 14 to 18 November 2011. 7. The Subcommittee membership significantly changed in 2011.3 On 28 October 2010, at the third Meeting of States Parties to the Optional Protocol, five Subcommittee members were elected to fill the vacancies arising in respect of members of the Subcommittee whose terms of office would expire on 31 December 2010. Furthermore, in conformity with article 5, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol, 15 members were elected in order to expand the membership of the Subcommittee to 25 members, following the fiftieth ratification in September 2009. In order to ensure an orderly handover of membership and in accordance with established practice, the terms of office of 7 of the additional 15 members were reduced to two years by ballot. The terms of office of all the newly elected members started on 1 January 2011 and, in conformity with the Subcommittee rules of procedure, they made a solemn declaration at the opening of the February 2011 session before assuming their duties. 8. In view of its expansion, the Subcommittee rules of procedure were revised so as to provide for the election of an expanded Bureau, comprising the Chairperson and four Vicechairpersons, the members of which serve for a period of two years. The Bureau, which was elected in February 2011 and continues in office until February 2013, comprises Malcolm Evans as Chairperson and Mario Coriolano, Zdenek Hajek, Suzanne Jabbour and Aisha Muhammad as Vice-Chairpersons. Ms. Muhammad is also the Rapporteur of the Subcommittee. 9. In order to facilitate the most effective, efficient and inclusive means of working as an enlarged Committee, it was agreed that each Bureau member should have a distinct responsibility for which he/she takes primary responsibility, under the overall leadership of the Chair and in cooperation with each other. Based on the Optional Protocol mandate as set out in article 11, the four Vice-Chairpersons have the following primary responsibilities: Mr. Coriolano: National Preventive Mechanisms, Mr. Hajek: Visits, Ms. Jabbour: External Relations, Ms. Muhammad: Jurisprudence. 3 4 For a list of members and the duration of their mandate, see the Subcommittee’s website (www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/opcat/index.htm).