NATIONAL MECHANISMS ASSIST IN THE PREPARATION OF
REPORTS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
Some States have found that establishing national
mechanisms with a specific responsibility for
coordinating and preparing State reports as well as
monitoring their own progress on implementation
and following-up on the Committee’s
recommendations to be practical and effective.
National mechanisms for reporting and
follow-up can help:
Provide a focus
for collating
relevant and
up-to-date data
Coordinate responses
and strengthen
interaction between
ministries, institutions
and stakeholders, such
as the national human
rights institutions,
National Preventive
Mechanism (if
applicable), and civil
society
“
The most important thing is to start
implementing the Convention, after that
reporting will follow.”
Fiji’s Attorney-General,
Mr. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, to the CTI Regional event for
Pacific countries on ratification and implementation of
UNCAT, Natadola, Fiji, October 2016
Provide a
focal point to
engage with the
international and
regional human
rights bodies
Facilitate
implementation
and follow-up by
disseminating
and monitoring
progress towards
recommendations
Build human
rights expertise
within
government
Some States prefer standing mechanisms over more ad hoc arrangements, as they make good use of resources and
provide needed continuity and sustained engagement across relevant ministries and with a range of stakeholders.
Standing mechanisms may have a permanent mandate, and be based either within a single government ministry,
convened across a number of ministries (inter-ministerial), or be an institutionally separate mechanism
established by the government. However, States can decide on the most appropriate structure for their particular
context.
Latvia: a working group to prepare a report
To assist in the drafting of its fifth report to the Committee against Torture, Latvia established a working group
comprised of representatives from a range of ministries, as well as the State Police and the Prosecutor’s Office.
The working group invited representatives from civil society organisations to present their comments on the
draft report and also sought comments from the Ombudsman’s Office. Following official approval, the report was
subsequently published in the Official Journal “Latvijas Vēstnesis” and published on the website of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Office of the Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers before International Human Rights
Organisations, as well as the web pages of other public state institutions.
TOOL: Reporting to the UN Committee against Torture
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