Committee and the Committee’s conclusions and recommendations, in appropriate languages, through official web sites, the media and non governmental organizations. 149. The Committee invites the delegation to submit complementary written information regarding the questions raised during the dialogue that remain unanswered. 150. The Committee requests the State party to provide, within one year, information on its response to the Committee’s recommendations contained in paragraphs 146 (d) and (f) above. Note IV.ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE UNDERARTICLE 20 OF THE CONVENTION A. General information 151.In accordance with article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention, if the Committee receives reliable information which appears to it to contain well-founded indications that torture is being systematically practised in the territory of a State party, the Committee shall invite that State party to cooperate in the examination of the information and, to this end, to submit observations with regard to the information concerned. 152.In accordance with rule 69 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, the Secretary-General shall bring to the attention of the Committee information which is, or appears to be, submitted for the Committee’s consideration under article 20, paragraph 1, of the Convention. 153.No information shall be received by the Committee if it concerns a State party which, in accordance with article 28, paragraph 1, of the Convention, declared at the time of ratification of or accession to the Convention that it did not recognize the competence of the Committee provided for in article 20, unless that State party has subsequently withdrawn its reservation in accordance with article 28, paragraph 2, of the Convention. 154.The Committee’s work under article 20 of the Convention continued during the period under review. In accordance with the provisions of article 20 and rules 72 and 73 of the rules of procedure, all documents and proceedings of the Committee relating to its functions under article 20 of the Convention are confidential and all the meetings concerning its proceedings under that article are closed. However, in accordance with article 20, paragraph 5 of the Convention, the Committee may, after consultations with the State party concerned, decide to include a summary account of the results of the proceedings in its annual report to the States parties and to the General Assembly. Such a summary account is herewith provided in connection with Serbia and Montenegro. 155.In the framework of its follow-up activities the Committee appointed, at its thirty first session, one of its members, Mr. Rasmussen, to carry out activities aiming at encouraging States parties on which inquiries had been conducted and the results of such inquiries had been published, to take measures to implement the Committee’s recommendations. Mr. Rasmussen initiated contacts with such States in order to obtain information about the measures they had taken so far. B.Summary account of the results of the proceedingsconcerning the inquiry on Serbia and Montenegro I. INTRODUCTION 156.On 19 December 1997 the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC), a non-governmental organization based in Belgrade, submitted information to the Committee containing allegations of systematic use of torture within the territory of Serbia and Montenegro and requested the Committee to examine the situation under article 20 of the Convention. In May 1998 the Committee invited HLC to submit additional information substantiating the facts of the situation. In November 1998 the information received from HLC was transmitted to the State party, which was requested to submit its observations. Owing to the political situation in the country at that time, the Committee decided to postpone its examination of the situation. In May 2000, the Committee decided to reiterate its request to the State party to submit observations on the allegations received. The observations were finally submitted on 23 August 2000. 157.In November 2000, the Committee decided to establish a confidential inquiry, in view of the fact that the information available to it provided well-founded indications that torture was being systematically practised in the country. At the same time, the Committee requested the Government to agree to a visit by the members designated to conduct the inquiry. The Government agreed to the visit, which took place from 8 to 19 July 2002. II. VISIT TO SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO FROM 8 TO 19 JULY 2002 158.The visit was undertaken by Peter Burns, Andreas Mavrommatis and Ole Vedel Rasmussen. The Committee members visited Belgrade where they held discussions with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Serbian Deputy Minister of Justice, the Serbian Minister of the Interior and his principal private secretary, the Serbian Public Prosecutor, the Director of the Serbian prison system, members of the Serbian Supreme Court, the head of the Belgrade District Court, the head of the Department of Public Security (Chief of Police) at the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Supreme Military Prosecutor and the Coordinator of the Commission for Truth and Reconciliation. They also met with representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Serbia and Montenegro, the Council of Europe and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The members also travelled to Novi Pazar, where they met with the District Prosecutor and representatives of NGOs. Visits were also made to a number of police stations and prisons in Belgrade and other parts of Serbia.