I. Cooperation between the Committee, the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of torture and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 17. A joint meeting was held on 16 May 2000 (432nd meeting) between the Committee, the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for the Victims of Torture and the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of torture.The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was represented by her Deputy. The participants welcomed the decision of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution 2000/43 of 20 April 2000, to draw the attention of Governments to the Principles on the effective investigation and documentation of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, annexed to that resolution. 18. The Committee, the Board of Trustees, the Special Rapporteur and the High Commissioner for Human Rights decided to issue a joint declaration for the third United Nation International Day in Support of Victims of Torture to be celebrated on 26 June 2000. The text of the declaration appears in annex V to the present report. J. Methods of work of the Committee 19. At its 434th meeting, on 17 May 2000, the Committee took a decision concerning the procedure under article 22 of the Convention. It decided that whenever a State party failed to report within the time limit indicated by the Committee on measures taken to remedy a situation or a practice which the Committee, in its final views, had considered a violation of the Convention, the Secretariat should, in consultation with the rapporteur of the communication, send a reminder to the State concerned. If the State party failed to respond, the matter would be taken up by the Committee at its subsequent session and could be referred to in the Committee's annual report to the General Assembly. 20. At its 437th meeting, on 18 May 2000, the Committee agreed that the establishment of a pre-sessional working group would facilitate its monitoring activities, in particular with regard to individual communications received under article 22 of the Convention. It decided to pursue this matter at its twenty-fifth session in November 2000. 21. The Committee also discussed the possibility of and the modalities for developing additional general comments. Two Committee members (Mr. Yakovlev and Mr. Camara) were designated to prepare background papers on identified topics for the next session, to serve as a basis for further discussions. The selected topics were: (i) The definition of torture appearing in article 1 of the Convention and the need for its incorporation in the domestic legislation of the State parties and (ii) Interim measures requested by the Committee, exercising its competence under article 22 of the Convention, to avoid possible irreparable damage to a person or persons who claim to be victims of an alleged violation of the Convention. Chapter II ACTION BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AT ITS FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION 22. The Committee considered this agenda item at its 410th and 422nd meetings, held on 1 and 9 May 2000. 4