TNAG-2320-FCO40-3364-Human-rights-in-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 74

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INTRODUCTION / WORK WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

continued its practice of handing down advisory opinions and adopted an inter- pretative judgment on one of its previous decisions. In addition, at the request of the IACHR, the Court adopted provisional measures for the protection of witnesses in a case which the LACHR is examining, also concerning Peru.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU)

Forty member states of the OAU were parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights by the end of 1990 after ratifications by Malawi and Mozambique became effective during the year (see Appendix VII). The African Commission a body of 11 experts established under the Charter to monitor its implementation - met in two regular sessions in April and October at its head- quarters in Banjul, the Gambia. Amnesty International, which has observer status at the African Commission, attended part of the second session and made a state- ment. The organization also submitted its first communication under Article 55 of the African Charter concerning human rights violations in Sudan since the 30 June 1989 military coup. In December Amnesty International attended a seminar in Dakar, Senegal, on the future of the Commission and possible amendment of the Charter.

The Council of Europe

On 6 November Hungary became the 24th member state of the Council of Europe, the first Warsaw Pact country to join this organization. On its admission, Hungary signed the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocol No. 6 concerning abolition of the death penalty. Finland ratified this Convention in May together with its Protocol No. 6 and Liechtenstein also ratified Protocol No. 6 in November, bringing to 16 the number of States Parties to this Protocol (see Appendix VII).

In November the Committee of Ministers adopted the text of the Ninth Protocol to the European Convention. This will permit individuals who have submitted a petition to the European Commission of Human Rights to refer their case to the European Court of Human Rights, following the Commission's deter- mination of the case. At present only the Commission or one of the States Parties involved in the case may do this.

Five countries ratified the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - the Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, Iceland, Portugal and San Marino - bringing the number of ratifications of this treaty to 20 (see Appendix VII). The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture set up under this treaty began its work and Amnesty International began regular submissions to it of relevant information. The Committee carried out its regular periodic visits during the year to Austria, Denmark, Malta and the UK and undertook one ad hoc visit to Turkey.

Amnesty International continued to attend as an observer the biannual meet- ings of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Human Rights. In October Amnesty International's Secretary General addressed the Committee as its guest speaker. Amnesty International also attended in January a hearing on Turkey

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 1991