Engagement of the United Nations System in the Reporting Procedure 5 UNCT’s engagement with the CEDAW Committee to challenge domestic violence In one State party, the Resident Coordinator and the country team had reached a deadlock in trying to tackle human rights issues relating to domestic violence. Engaging with the State party’s periodic reporting process to the CEDAW Committee proved to be useful in laying the ground for subsequent addressing of the issue in the country. The strategy of the Resident Coordinator consisted of bringing together all UN concerned agencies (in this case UN Women, UNICEF and UNDP) to identify key issues of concern; supporting the government with its reporting preparations; and presenting clearly the UNCT’s position to the CEDAW Committee and to the government. As a result, the Committee issued to the State party more focused recommendations on domestic violence, which then opened the door for capacity development assistance from the UNCT.47 47 To strengthen engagement of States with all human rights mechanisms, UNCTs can support the setting-up and effective functioning of a national mechanism for reporting and follow-up (NMRF) with the involvement of all key stakeholders (see Chapter 2), which can be a critical first step in bringing about legislative, policy and programming change to ensure implementation of treaty obligations. UNCTs can also encourage governments to elaborate a plan for implementation of human rights recommendations or a National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP) to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the human rights mechanisms (TBs, UPR and Special Procedures of the HRC), linking them to national development priorities and setting specific timelines, indicators and benchmarks for success. In the context of the 2030 agenda and the SDGs, this type of exercise can play an important role in ensuring that policies and strategies aimed at SDG implementation at national level are human rights-based, do not leave anyone behind, and reduce inequalities. UNCTs can advocate regularly and track implementation of recommendations from the international human rights mechanisms. All Treaty Bodies also encourage participation by UN specialized agencies, funds and programmes at all stages of the reporting process including submission of information when a State party’s report is due for consideration. This information may be provided on two occasions during the reporting cycle, that is to inform a) the preparation of List of Issues and questions (under the Standard or Simplified Reporting Procedures); and b) the consideration of State parties’ reports. UN partners also have the opportunity to meet in private with the members of the Treaty Bodies or connect via phone or video-conference (VTC) by making a specific request to the Secretariat, during their pre-sessional working groups or sessions, to discuss the country situation and relevant activities, programmes and priorities (see figure, below). 48 49 UNICEF’s interaction with CRC As part of UNICEF’s long-standing engagement in the reporting process to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, a meeting between its Headquarters and Regional and Deputy Directors and the Committee members has taken place biannually since 2008 in Geneva48. The aim of those meetings is to discuss ways of enhancing their existing cooperation with a view to realizing children’s rights on the ground, particularly through actions which would ensure follow-up and implementation of the Committee’s recommendations, such as the organization of joint CRCUNICEF country visits to better support State parties in this regard.49 47 More information on the engagement of UNCTs with the human rights mechanisms can be found at: Guidance Note on Human Rights for Resident Coordinators and UNCTs, op. cit. 48 General Assembly (official records) 71st session, Report of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, A/71/41 (supplement), para. 52 (a). 49 Ibid, para. 19. 65