addition to the State reports. These should contain their views on the current state of implementation of UNCAT in their country Example of General question to the Philippines, 2012: …please provide information on redress and compensation measures, including the means of rehabilitation, ordered by the courts and actually provided to victims of torture, or their families, since the examination of the last periodic report in 2009. Example of focused question to the Philippines, 2012: Please indicate the status of implementation of section 19 of the Anti-Torture Law, which mandates the formulation of a rehabilitation programme and specifically indicate whether all relevant agencies have participated in its development and implementation, the amount of resources allocated to it, and measures the State party is taking to ensure that it is implemented throughout the territory of the State party. and, if necessary, correcting or otherwise commenting on the information contained in the State report. The deadline for submitting alternative reports is approximately two weeks before the beginning of the Committee’s official session. This concludes the preparation and information collection phase of the reporting cycle. The Committee has now asked its questions about the current state of implementation of UNCAT and these have been answered both by the State and by other non-state stakeholders. Phase 2 - The hearing in Geneva When the State has submitted its report, the Committee will schedule an oral hearing in Geneva, Switzerland, where the State and the Committee can have an interactive discussion on how the State is implementing UNCAT. The oral hearing is split into two sessions over two days and lasts a total of five hours. During these two sessions, which are webcast live, the State will briefly present its report followed by a series of comments and questions by the Committee members. The State will then have the rest of the day to prepare responses, which will be delivered the following day during the second half of the session. The hearing concludes with a more interactive exchange of questions and answers. Also civil society actors have the possibility to directly engage with the Committee during the sessions in Geneva. On the day before the official review starts, the Committee will hold a closed one-hour briefing with civil society actors. Only those that have submitted written reports to the Committee during the preparation phase are allowed to participate in the briefing. NGOs can present additional information to that contained within the written reports and the Committee members will have an opportunity to ask clarifying questions or make comments, in advance of formulating their questions for the State. The hearing with the government is public, which means that NGOs can observe it in persons or through the live webcast. Phase 3 - The outcome of the review The main tangible outcome of a country review is the Concluding Observations, which are adopted at the end of the Committee’s session. This is a 10-15 page document Engaging with State reviews in the UN Committee against Torture: A practical guide 9