Chapter 2 • The Major Universal Human Rights Instruments and the Mechanisms for Their Implementation request an immediate visit to the country concerned.74 The purpose of these appeals is to strengthen human rights protection in situations giving rise to immediate concern; and, as emphasized in a report on the rationalization of the work of the Commission, adopted by consensus by the Commission itself during its fifty-sixth session, “Governments to which urgent appeals are addressed should understand the gravity of the concern that underlies these appeals and should respond as quickly as possible”.75 These appeals are intended to be preventive in character and do not prejudge the final conclusion in the case concerned. Cases that are not clarified are made public through the report of the special mechanisms to the Commission on Human Rights or to other competent United Nations bodies. 5.2 Special procedures II: The 1503 complaints procedure In response to the large number of communications submitted to the United Nations each year alleging the existence of gross and systematic violations of human rights, the Economic and Social Council has adopted a procedure for dealing with such communications. This is known as the 1503 procedure, pursuant to the adoption of resolution 1503 of 27 May 1970. However, although based on individual petitions and more comprehensive submissions by NGOs, it does not deal with individual cases but seeks to identify situations of grave violations of human rights affecting large numbers of people. As from the year 2000, this confidential procedure, which originally comprised three stages, will be composed of a two-stage procedure involving, in the first place, a Working Group on Communications comprising five independent members of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, as well as a Working Group on Situations consisting of five members of the Commission on Human Rights nominated by the regional groups. The Commission itself then holds two closed sessions to consider the recommendations of the Working Groups on Situations.76 The 1503 dossier remains confidential at all times, unless the Government concerned has indicated that it wishes it to be made public. Otherwise, only the names of the countries having been examined under the 1503 procedure, and of the countries no longer being dealt with thereunder, are made public by the Chairperson of the Commission.77 74 See UN doc. E/CN.4/2000/112, Report of the Intersessional Open-ended Working Group on Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights, p. 8, para. 26. 75 Ibid., p. 9, para. 28. 76 For further details on the 1503 procedure as modified, see ibid., pp. 11-12, paras. 35-41. 77 Ibid., p. 12, para. 41. Human Rights in the Administration of Justice: A Manual on Human Rights for Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers 69