4. Structure: Reports are generally structured in three main sections: • Introduction • Substantive part • Conclusions and recommendations. For the substantive part, it can be helpful to structure each issue into sub-sections focusing on: • The general context (where relevant include a reference to questions posed in the LOIPR), • Developments since last review (previous Concluding Observations, implementation efforts and information in the State report) • Specific problems and possible solutions • Suggested recommendations. 5. Use of cases and statistics: It can be very effective to use cases and statistics to emphasise and add credibility to certain points in the alternative report. For statistics, it is very important to ensure that they are as updated as possible. Older statistics can still be helpful for questioning the State on what has happened since (if there are no newer statistics in the State report) but it must be clearly indicated if they are out-dated. Since the State review procedure does not deal with individual complaints, cases should mainly be used to illustrate general trends such as the extent of torture in a country; specific torture practices, perpetrators or locations where torture is practiced; or, systematic impunity etc. When using cases, it is crucial that all identifiable victims have provided prior informed consent and that all measures are taken to avoid reprisals. 6. Focus on recommendations: It is important to remember that the main objective of the report is to ensure that the Committee makes high quality recommendations pertaining to your priority issues. Therefore, there must be clear links from your report’s analysis, through conclusions and to the proposed recommendations, and that these are visually clearly accessible. The NGO briefing is only open to NGOs that have submitted an alternative report on the respective country. In this way, it is a very good opportunity to have an interactive discussion with the Committee to further clarify issues already covered in the alternative report. Lastly, it also provides a possibility to have more informal exchanges with country rapporteurs and individual Committee members who may have a special interest in your priority issues. Webcasting of treaty body hearings is an initiative that has been growing over the past years. Currently, all the Committee’s State reviews are webcast live on the internet (treatybodywebcast.org) and recorded for posterity. This enables NGOs with limited resources for travelling to Geneva to follow the discussions during the review, analyse the outcome and provide their insight to interested media on the conduct of the proceedings. It also provides a new venue for improving the quality and constructive nature of the dialogue. State representatives with relevant knowledge, who cannot come to Geneva for the hearing, can follow the discussions and provide input to the State’s replies, which takes place on day two of the Engaging with State reviews in the UN Committee against Torture: A practical guide 19