How can the IRCT support members? The IRCT has an office in Brussels, the main task of which is to influence EU policy in the area of human rights and anti-torture measures. The office is in daily contact with EU institutions and is able to provide direct input for the creation of EU policy. The IRCT Brussels office is ideally located to support members’ advocacy towards EU institutions and can provide members with a number of support measures for promoting their causes. Depending on the availability of resources, the IRCT may provide practical and financial support to members to travel to Brussels. The IRCT also provides advice on how, when and which decision makers to target for concrete lobbying activities. In addition, the IRCT can arrange meetings and accompany members. The staff of the IRCT Brussels office can offer representation on behalf of members, who are not able to come to Brussels themselves. Advocacy tours with our members are one of the most efficient ways of doing this. • The IRCT has produced a series of explanatory publications on the different EU bodies and mechanisms, which can be consulted in the members’ area of the IRCT website. • The IRCT Brussels office can provide members with support in producing written information for relevant EU human rights instruments (such as ahead of dialogues or for input into the human rights country strategies). • The IRCT Brussels office can provide targeted guidance on how to produce written information and provide comments on existing draft documents, that will best target the EU. Engaging with European Union foreign policy on the ground – an IRCT guide 15