CAT/C/48/3
10.
The Subcommittee also revised its allocation of internal responsibilities, largely to
reflect, support and encourage its growing engagement with national and regional partners.
A new system of regional focal points was also put in place. The role of these focal points
is to undertake liaison and facilitate coordination of the Subcommittee’s engagement within
the regions they serve. Focal points for Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America
were appointed at the fourteenth session and are as follows: Africa: Fortuné Zongo, AsiaPacific: Lowell Goddard, Europe: Mari Amos, Latin America: Victor Rodríguez-Rescia.
Likewise, a new system of regional task forces on national preventive mechanisms has been
established. Under the leadership of the Subcommittee Chairperson and Subcommittee
Vice-Chairperson on National Preventive Mechanisms, and under the responsibility of the
above focal points, each regional task force is responsible for work on NPM-related
matters. Furthermore, the Subcommittee decided to establish working groups on dialogue
arising from visits under the leadership of the Subcommittee vice-Chair for visits as well as
a working group on security matters and a working group on medical issues. Further
information on these developments is provided in chapter IV, section A, below.
C.
Visits conducted during the reporting period
11.
The Subcommittee carried out three visits in 2011. From 16 to 25 May 2011, it
visited Ukraine, the second country visited by the Subcommittee in Europe (following the
visit to Sweden in March 2008).
12.
From 19 to 30 September 2011, the Subcommittee visited Brazil, the fifth country
visited by the Subcommittee in Latin America (following the visits to Mexico in AugustSeptember 2008, to Paraguay in March 2009, to Honduras in September 2009 and to
Bolivia in August-September 2010).
13.
From 5 to 14 December 2011, the Subcommittee visited Mali, the fourth country
visited by the Subcommittee in Africa (following the visits to Mauritius in October 2007, to
Benin in May 2008 and to Liberia in December 2010).
14.
Further summary information on all these visits, including lists of places visited,
may be found in the press releases issued following each visit and which are available on
the Subcommittee’s website.
D.
Dialogue arising from visits, including publication of the
Subcommittee’s reports by States parties
15.
Six Subcommittee visit reports have been made public following a request from the
State party (Benin, Honduras, Maldives, Mexico, Paraguay and Sweden), as provided for
under article 16, paragraph 2, of the Optional Protocol, including one in the reporting
period: Benin (in January 2011). Four replies (from Benin, Mexico, Paraguay and Sweden)
have also been made public at the request of the State party, including Benin and Mexico
during the reporting period (in January and October 2011).
16.
In conformity with past practice, the Subcommittee systematized its practice
regarding the formal elements of its dialogue arising from its visits. States parties are
requested to provide a reply within a six-month deadline giving a full account of action
taken to implement the recommendations contained in the visit report. At the time of the
submission of the present report, 7 out of 13 States parties visited by the Subcommittee had
provided replies: Mauritius in December 2008; Sweden in January 2009; Paraguay in
March 2010, Benin in January 2011, Lebanon (partial reply) in January 2011, Mexico in
October 2011 and Bolivia in November 2011. The replies from Bolivia, Lebanon and
Mauritius remain confidential, while those from Benin, Mexico, Paraguay and Sweden
5