A/HRC/4/75 page 16 legal systems, balanced gender representation and participation of experts with disabilities. Members will serve in their personal capacity and shall be of high moral standing and have recognized competence and experience in the field of human rights and disability. 51. The primary function of the Committee will be to consider reports of States parties on the measures taken to give effect to the obligations under the Convention and on the progress made in that regard. States parties must submit the first comprehensive report within two years after the entry into force of the Convention for the State party concerned and then the State will have to submit further reports every four years or whenever the Committee so requests. Subsequent reports need not repeat information provided in the first report. States are invited to consider preparing the reports through an open and transparent process, giving due consideration to close consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. The Committee will consider the reports and make suggestions and general recommendations on the report as appropriate. 52. An optional protocol to the Convention establishes two additional procedures - an individual communications procedure and an inquiry procedure. According to the individual communications procedure, a State party to the protocol recognizes the competence of the Committee to receive and consider communications from or on behalf of individuals or groups of individuals subject to its jurisdiction claiming a violation by that State of any of the provisions in the Convention. The Committee must assess whether the communication is admissible, including whether the petitioner has exhausted domestic remedies prior to considering the merits of the communication. The Committee, after examination of the admissibility and merits of the communication, may transmit its suggestions and recommendations to the State party and the petitioner. 53. The protocol establishes a second optional procedure whereby the Committee may, on the receipt of reliable information indicating grave or systematic violations by a State party of the rights in the Convention, invite the State party to cooperate in the examination of the information. Upon the basis of this examination, the Committee may designate one or more of its members to undertake an inquiry and to report urgently to the Committee. Where warranted and with the consent of the State, this inquiry may include a visit to the country concerned. 54. Finally, the Convention requires the Committee to report every two years to the General Assembly and to the Economic and Social Council on its activities. In those reports, the Committee may make suggestions and general recommendations based on reports and information from States parties. III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 55. The present reporting year has been a landmark for human rights and disabilities with the adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Office, together with States, United Nations partners, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, has continued increasing its capacity and activities on human rights and disabilities, and it is intended to maintain and strengthen this trend over the coming years. In this regard, the High Commissioner underscores the