cerned by telefax, requesting the Government to clarify the particular case and to take the necessary steps to guarantee the rights of the alleged victim. The thematic mandates that deal with urgent action appeals include, among others, the Special Rapporteurs on torture; on violence against women, its causes and consequences; and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders; and the Working Groups on enforced or involuntary disappearances and on arbitrary detention. D. SOURCES, SYSTEMS AND STANDARDS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL 78. This Manual, intended to be a training tool of universal applicability, is based on the global standards produced by the United Nations. Nevertheless, trainees should also be aware of regional human rights instruments and arrangements in Europe, the Americas and Africa (no such arrangements exist yet for the Asian region). 1. The European system under the Council of Europe 79. The main human rights instrument in the European region is the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (generally referred to as the European Convention on Human Rights), which entered into force in September 1953. Subsequently, several related Protocols have been adopted. The organs of the European system relevant to the European Convention and its Protocols are the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. 80. The Court is a judicial body which receives complaints from Contracting States or individuals claiming to be victims of a violation of the Convention, decides on cases, and issues binding decisions. The Court also gives advisory opinions on legal questions concerning the interpretation of the Convention or of its Protocols. 81. The Committee of Ministers is a political body whose members are appointed by member States of the Council of Europe. It supervises the implementation of judgements of the Court, issues resolutions requiring States to take necessary action in that regard, and can suspend or expel a State from the Council of Europe. 82. In addition, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment came into force in February 1989. This Convention established the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), whose function is to visit any place within the jurisdiction of States parties, both periodically and on an ad hoc basis, where persons are deprived of their liberty by a public authority, including police stations, prisons, psychiatric institutions and holding centres for asylumseekers and other categories of foreigners. In the course of these visits the Committee examines the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty with a view to strengthening, if necessary, the protection of such persons from torture and from inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. After each visit, the Committee prepares a report on its findings which may include recommendations and other advice to create a dialogue with the State concerned. Both the report and the visit 24