APT General Guidelines Alternative reporting to the Committee against Torture January 2013 ii. Report to State Party report This can be both complementary and supplemental to the State report, in that it comments on submissions in the State report and provides additional or missing information. Specifically, it should provide answers to the questions: what, where, when, who, why and how. iii. Offering feedback during the follow-up process Feedback on how a State Party implements the recommendations of the Committee is often incomplete. In order for the Committee to monitor the situation more effectively, NGOs should report on how the recommendations of the Committee are being fulfilled, alert the Committee to circumstances which illustrate challenges to the implementation of recommendations, or to the non-compliance by the State Party. c. Use reliable statistics and share your expert knowledge Any issues raised in the alternative report will have much greater force when supported with statistical data or factual examples of specific cases of human rights violations/abuses. Submitting statistical data collected between one State review and the next will add credibility to the shadow report by substantiating your findings. d. Length The language used should be concise and the shadow report should be as succinct as possible. A well-written short report will ensure that the Committee’s focus remains on the key issues you intend to highlight. e. For good practice examples of shadow reports to the CAT, consider the following: • • • Amnesty International’s shadow report on Mexico (2012) 3 (thematic report) ARCT’s shadow report on Albania (2012) 4 (optional reporting procedure) CCLA’s report for LOIs to be adopted for Canada (2012) 5 4. Sources of additional useful information Status of ratification, reservations and declarations to UNCAT http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV9&chapter=4&lang=en Status of ratification, reservations and declarations to the Optional Protocol to the UNCAT http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-9b&chapter=4&lang=en Calendar/timetable of UN sessions, meetings and events http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Meetings.aspx 3 4 5 See http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/ngos/AI_Mexico_CAT49_en.pdf http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/cats48.htm http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/cats48.htm 6