PART III 10 OSCE INTERVENTIONS A meeting with government officials can be more effective if it is well planned in advance. Before meeting with the authorities, the mission should decide precisely what information should be given to the authorities in raising a case. For example, has the complainant or witness given permission to use his or her name or even to raise the matter at all? Are there any facts or evidence that should not be provided to a particular government official because, for example, they might endanger others? Who else should be present? Exactly which issues should be raised? What reactions, objections, and questions are expected? How should the OSCE staff member overcome those objections? The mission should also decide whether notes will be taken and, if so, by whom. While it is normal practice to take notes at a diplomatic meeting, the presence of a note-taker can result in a more formalistic response from government officials or even in reluctance to discuss the issue at all. The art of intervening with government officials in the most effective and appropriate manner cannot be summed up in a few paragraphs or taught in template format. Conduct and outcomes may depend on interpersonal dynamics, intercultural and even linguistic factors and cannot always be predicted. Judgements on how to proceed need to be made on a case-by-case basis and according to the situation. It is possible for the OSCE staff member to leave an aide memoire with officials at the end of a meeting. This is a document summarizing the key points and facts raised by the mission during the meeting. Leaving such a document helps ensure that the official will not misunderstand or misinterpret the points raised. It is extremely important to prepare detailed reports and keep records of interventions with government institutions, including names and ranks of the officials contacted, the date of the meeting, the information conveyed and received, and the follow-up promised. Such information should be included in the file of the complaint. These records will be crucial if the mission later decides to intervene at a higher level, or if it decides to follow up in other ways. It is a good practice to designate a case officer within the mission to be responsible for keeping track of the development of an individual case, even if he or she might not be the only person responsible for receiving information or liasing with the authorities. It is also useful to stay up to date on any efforts that have been made by other international organizations. If, after the first intervention, the government provides information that satisfies the mission that no human rights violation has occurred, or if the case is resolved by the govern- 92