A/HRC/WG.7/2/2 3. Within three months, the receiving State party shall submit to the Committee written explanations or statements clarifying the matter and the remedy, if any, that may have been provided by that State party. Article 7 Friendly settlement 1. The Committee shall make available its good offices to the parties concerned with a view to reaching a friendly settlement of the matter on the basis of the respect for the obligations set forth in the Convention and/or the Optional Protocols thereto. 2. An agreement on a friendly settlement closes consideration of the communication under the present Protocol. Article 8 Consideration of the merits 1. The Committee shall hold closed meetings when examining communications received under the present Protocol. 2. The Committee shall consider communications received under the present Protocol in the light of all documentation submitted to it, provided that this documentation is transmitted to the parties concerned. 3. When examining a communication under the present Protocol, the Committee may consult, as appropriate, relevant documentation emanating from other United Nations bodies, specialized agencies, funds, programmes and mechanisms, and other bodies, including from regional human rights systems, and any observations or comments by the State party concerned. 4. After examining a communication, the Committee shall, without delay, transmit its views on the communication, together with its recommendations, if any, to the parties concerned. 5. The Committee shall develop and publish rules of procedure to be followed when exercising the functions conferred on it by the present Protocol. In doing so, it shall have regard to article 1 (2) of the present Protocol. Article 9 Follow-up to the views of the Committee 1. The State party shall give due consideration to the views of the Committee, together with its recommendations, if any, and shall submit to the Committee, within three months, a written response, including information on any action taken in the light of the views and recommendations of the Committee. 2. The Committee may invite the State party to submit further information about any measures the State party has taken in response to its views or recommendations, if any, including as deemed appropriate by the Committee, in the State party’s subsequent reports under article 44 of the Convention, article 12 of the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography or article 8 of the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict. 6 GE.10-15781