A/68/44 State party Report Concluding observations Netherlands Combined fifth and sixth CAT/C/NLD/5-6 periodic reports CAT/C/NLD/CO/5-6 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Fifth periodic report CAT/C/GBR/CO/5 CAT/C/GBR/5 54. In accordance with rule 68 of the rules of procedure of the Committee, representatives of each reporting State were invited to attend the meetings of the Committee when their report was examined. All of the States parties whose reports were considered sent representatives to participate in the examination of their respective reports. The Committee expressed its appreciation for this in its concluding observations. 55. Two Country Rapporteurs were designated by the Committee for each of the reports considered. The list appears in annex XVI to the present report. 56. In connection with its consideration of reports, the Committee also had before it: (a) General guidelines regarding the form and contents of initial reports to be submitted by States parties under article 19, paragraph 1, of the Convention (CAT/C/4/Rev.3); (b) General guidelines regarding the form and contents of periodic reports to be submitted by States parties under article 19 of the Convention (CAT/C/14/Rev.1). 57. The Committee has been issuing lists of issues for periodic reports since 2004. This resulted from a request made to the Committee by representatives of the States parties at a meeting with Committee members. While the Committee understands the wish of States parties to have advance notice of the issues likely to be discussed during the dialogue, it nonetheless must point out that the drafting of lists of issues has increased the Committee’s workload. This is particularly significant in a Committee with such a small membership. B. Concluding observations on States parties’ reports 58. The text of concluding observations adopted by the Committee with respect to the above-mentioned reports submitted by States parties is reproduced below. 59. Gabon (1) The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Gabon (CAT/C/GAB/1) at its 1110th and 1113th meetings (CAT/C/SR.1110 and 1113), held on 8 and 9 November 2012, and adopted the following concluding observation at its 1127th meeting (CAT/C/SR.1127) on 20 November 2012. A. Introduction (2) The Committee welcomes the initial report of Gabon, but notes that it is not entirely in compliance with the reporting guidelines and regrets that it was submitted 11 years late. (3) The Committee appreciates the open and constructive dialogue that was held with the State party’s high-level delegation, as well as the responses provided orally during the Committee’s consideration of the report. 12 GE.13-46043