25 LEGAL AVENUES TOWARDS JUSTICE FOR ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE IN AFRICA PRACTICE NOTE 5 STRATEGIC LITIGATION OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES IN AFRICA b) The Committee on Enforced Disappearance (CED) comprises of ten independent experts who monitor the implementation of the ICPPED. Article 31 of the Convention provides for the Committee to receive individual complaints from victims of enforced disappearance, but only if the State ratified the Convention and consented to the competence of the Committee to receive individual complaints. Check the list on the United Nations website. c) The Committee against Torture (CAT) is a committee of ten international experts who monitor the implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Individuals can file an individual complaint if the State party ratified the treaty and consented to the Committee’s jurisdiction under Article 22. Check the list on the United Nations website. d) The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) was established in 1980 with a mandate to examine questions relevant to enforced disappearances and provide assistance to the families in determining the fate or whereabouts of their relatives. The WGEID accepts individual reports of disappearances. Upon receipt of a communication, the Working Group can forward a communication within 1-2 days to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country concerned if the case is less than three months old. If the disappearance is reported after three months, the WGEID may authorise communication to the State requesting it to carry out investigations and inform the Group of the results. It is possible to submit individual communications to the Working Group in relation to any country, regardless of whether it has ratified the ICPPED. Further, it is not necessary to exhaust domestic remedies before communicating with the WGEID. The communications issued by the Working Group can help establish facts and the whereabouts of the victim, but do not make a finding of State responsibility or issue reparations.