I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS A. States parties to the Convention 1. As at 10 May 1996, the closing date of the sixteenth session of the Committee against Torture, there were 96 States parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. During the present reporting period, the following eight States became parties to the Convention: Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Kuwait, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Uzbekistan and Zaire. The Convention was adopted by the General Assembly in resolution 39/46 of 10 December 1984 and opened for signature and ratification in New York on 4 February 1985. It entered into force on 26 June 1987 in accordance with the provisions of its article 27. A list of States that have signed, ratified or acceded to the Convention together with an indication of those that have made declarations under articles 21 and 22 of the Convention is contained in annex I to the present report. 2. The text of the declarations, reservations or objections made by States parties with respect to the Convention are reproduced in document CAT/C/2/Rev.4. B. Opening and duration of the sessions 3. The Committee against Torture has held two sessions since the adoption of its last annual report. The fifteenth and sixteenth sessions of the Committee were held at the United Nations Office at Geneva from 13 to 24 November 1995 and from 30 April to 10 May 1996. 4. At its fifteenth session, the Committee held 18 meetings (227th to 244th meeting) and at its sixteenth session the Committee held 17 meetings (245th to 261st meeting). An account of the deliberations of the Committee at its fifteenth and sixteenth sessions is contained in the relevant summary records (CAT/C/SR.227-261). C. Membership and attendance 5. In accordance with article 17 of the Convention, the Fifth Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention was convened by the Secretary-General at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 29 November 1995. The following five members of the Committee were elected for a term of four years beginning on 1 January 1996: Mr. Peter Thomas Burns, Mr. Guibril Camara, Mr. Alejandro González-Poblete, Mr. Georghios M. Pikis and Mr. Bostjan M. Zupanc ˇic ˇ. The list of the members, together with an indication of the duration of their term of office, appears in annex II to the present report. 6. All the members attended the fifteenth session of the Committee except Mr. Hugo Lorenzo. Mr. Alexander M. Yakovlev attended the second week of the session only. The sixteenth session of the Committee was attended by all the members. With regard to the absence of Mr. Lorenzo, at both the fourteenth and fifteenth sessions, the Committee took note of the reply of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, dated 23 May 1995, to a letter addressed to him by the Committee, through its Chairman, on 24 April 1995, 1/ by which the Secretary-General confirmed that Mr. Lorenzo was not authorized to -1-