A/HRC/7/50 page 3 Introduction A. Submission of the report 1. The present report was prepared in accordance with the arrangements approved by the Human Rights Council in its decision 2/102 of 6 October 2006. It presents updated information on the activities of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture (the Fund), and in particular the recommendations adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Fund at its twenty-seventh session, which was held in Geneva from 22 to 26 October 2007. The High Commissioner for Human Rights approved these recommendations on behalf of the Secretary-General. The present report complements the report on the activities of the Fund submitted to the General Assembly (A/62/189) on 6 August 2007. B. Mandate of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture 2. The Fund receives voluntary contributions from Governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals. In accordance with the practice established by its Board of Trustees in 1982, the Fund provides grants to non-governmental organizations that submit projects involving medical, psychological, social, financial, legal and humanitarian or other forms of assistance to torture victims and their relatives. C. Board of Trustees 3. The Secretary-General administers the Fund through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with the advice of a Board of Trustees composed of five members acting in their personal capacity and appointed by the Secretary-General with due regard to equitable geographical distribution and in consultation with their Governments. The Secretary-General in August 2005 appointed the following members for a period of three years, renewable once: Krassimir Kanev (Bulgaria), Sonia Picado (Costa Rica), Savitri Goonesekere (Sri Lanka), Joseph Oloka-Onyango (Uganda), and Derrick Pounder (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). D. Admissibility criteria 4. Project admissibility criteria are outlined in the Fund’s guidelines. They require a project to be presented by a non-governmental organization. The beneficiaries must be direct victims of torture and/or direct family members. Priority is given to projects providing direct assistance to torture victims. This could consist of medical or psychological assistance; help with social or financial reintegration through vocational training for victims; or legal assistance to seek redress for victims or members of their families, or process the claims of asylum-seekers. Depending on the funds available, the Fund may finance projects to organize training programmes, seminars or conferences to allow health-care professionals or other service providers to exchange best practices. However, grant requests for projects involving investigation, research, studies, publications or similar activities are not admissible. The Fund can provide emergency assistance to individuals in countries where no project is receiving support. This type of request is examined according to a specific procedure outlined in the guidelines.