The Council first met in 1990 in Rotorua under the capable presidency of our own Dame Silvia Cartwright, before she became Governor-General. It has so far considered six references -two when Dame Silvia was President, on child pornography and the death penalty -and four since I have been a member of the Council. In 2002 the reference was on people trafficking (considered at the annual conference in New Delhi) and in 2004, at the annual conference in Kathmandu, the Council considered a reference

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... on terrorism and human rights. In 2005 the meeting headed for Mongolia and a reference on torture. Last year the meeting was education in Fiji. This year it is the environment in Australia. The process for the references to the Council begins by the Forum deciding on the topic to be referred. It then set out specific questions it wants answered. A background paper is prepared for the consideration of the jurists. The jurists meet for three days in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Forum and produce a report for presentation to the Forum meeting. I can tell you that the timeframe is in itself a