III. REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES SUBMITTED UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT A. Submission of reports. 30. States parties have undertaken to submit reports in accordance with article 40, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Eights within one year of the entry into force of the Covenant for the States parties concerned and thereafter whenever the Committee so requests. In order to assist States parties in submitting the reports required under article 40, paragraph 1 (a), of the Covenant, the Human Eights Committee, at its second session, approved general guidelines regarding the form and contents of initial reports. 2/ 31. Furthermore, in accordance with article 40, paragraph 1 (b), of the Covenant, the Committee at its thirteenth session adopted a decision on periodicity requiring States parties to submit subsequent reports to the Committee every five years. 3/ At the same session, the Committee adopted guidelines regarding the form and contents of periodic reports from States parties under article 40, paragraph 1 (b), of the Covenant. 4/ At its thirty-ninth session, the Committee adopted an amendment to its guidelines for the submission of initial and periodic reports relating to reporting by States parties on action taken in response to the issuance by the Committee of views under the Optional Protocol. 5_/ At its forty-second session, the Committee revised its general guidelines for the submission of initial and periodic reports to take into account the consolidated guidelines for the initial part of the reports of States parties to be submitted under the various international human rights instruments, including the Covenant (HRI/CORE/1). 6/ 32. At each of its sessions during the reporting period, the Committee was informed of and considered the status of the submission of reports (see annex IV). 33. The action taken, information received and relevant issues placed before the Committee during the reporting period (forty-third to forty-fifth sessions) are summarized in paragraphs 34 to 43 below. Forty-third session 34. With regard to reports submitted since the forty-second session, the Committee was informed that the initial report of the Eepublic of Korea, the second periodic report of Afghanistan, the third periodic report of Hungary as well as information supplementary to the third periodic report of Poland had been received. 35. At the Committee^ 1097th meeting, on 23 October 1991, representatives of Burundi submitted their country's initial report, which had been due in 1991. Although the Committee was unable, for technical reasons, to consider the report at that session, the representatives of Burundi were congratulated on their punctuality in submitting the initial report. 36. The Committee decided to send reminders to the Governments of Gabon, -7-