The procedure does not apply to initial reports. The Committee is of the view that this procedure will assist State parties to prepare and submit more focused reports, guiding their content, facilitating the reporting process and strengthening State parties’ capacity to fulfil their reporting obligations in a timely and effective manner. During 2009, the Human Rights Committee also decided to use lists of issues prior to reporting as an optional reporting procedure for State parties. 5.  Other sources of information In addition to the State parties’ reports, the treaty bodies may receive information on a country’s human rights situation from other sources, including United Nations agencies, other intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), both international and national, and professional groups and academic institutions. Most committees allocate specific plenary time to hearing submissions from United Nations agencies and most also receive NGOs. Depending on when the information is submitted, issues raised by these organizations may be incorporated in the list of issues or inform the questions that members ask the State delegation. In the light of all the information available, the committee examines the report. A number of treaties provide for a special role for specific United Nations bodies in the consideration of reports. Article 45 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child specifically mentions the role of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), along with other United Nations Official languages and working languages agencies and bodies. Article 74 of the International Convention on While the official United Nations the Protection of the Rights of All languages are Arabic, Chinese, En­ Migrant Workers and Members glish, French, Russian and Spanish, the committees generally choose to work of their Families similarly provides in only some of these languages, defor the participation of the Interpending on their membership and in national Labour Office/Organiorder to cut costs in relation to docuzation. Article 38 of the Convenmentation. Core documents, such as tion on the Rights of Persons with concluding observations, rules of proDisabilities and article 28 of the cedure and reporting guidelines, are International Convention for the always translated into all six. Protection of All Persons from EnThe working languages of the Secforced Disappearance also proretariat at Geneva are English and vide for active cooperation with French. relevant United Nations bodies. 27

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