REPORTING TO THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS TREATY BODIES TRAINING GUIDE: Part I — Manual Despite the set reporting periodicity, late or non-submission of a report by a State party27, given the time lag between submission and consideration of a report, can result in a State party’s next periodic report becoming due in the same year in which a Committee is considering that State’s current report, or even earlier, with a consequent accumulation of overdue reports. To overcome this situation as well as to encourage reporting by State parties and to assist them in clearing their reporting backlog, Treaty Bodies allow the combination and submission of overdue reports in a single document. For example, the second and third overdue periodic reports may be combined with the due fourth periodic report into a single report. However, State parties are enabled to submit combined reports only if a Treaty Body has previously agreed to it. The combined report should focus on the current situation in the country while giving an update of developments over the period of the submission of the last report (to explain the current context as necessary) while being mindful of word limits. This also applies to very overdue initial reports capturing developments since the time the initial report was due as necessary to explain the current situation. In this context and with the aim of ensuring compliance by all State parties, on an equal footing, with their reporting obligations, the CMW adopted a reporting calendar on the basis of the reporting periodicity established in the Convention, whereby implementation of the Convention by all State parties would be considered within a five-year cycle starting in 2014.28 State parties can easily identify the due date of their next periodic report in the Concluding Observations adopted by the relevant Treaty Body, or consult OHCHR’s webpage (see link below). ÎÎIf you want to learn about the status of ratification and reporting of your country, click here or visit the OHCHR website at the link: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/ TreatyBodyExternal/Countries.aspx 4.1.2. Content of reports In 2006 the Treaty Bodies adopted harmonized reporting guidelines on the content of State parties’ reports, the aim being to strengthen State parties’ capacity to fulfil their reporting obligations in a timely and efficient manner, including avoidance of unnecessary duplication of information. This harmonized approach also facilitates consistency by all committees in considering reports; helps each committee consider the human rights situation in every State party on an equal basis; and reduces the need for a committee to request supplementary information before considering a report.29 This approach was later supported and further encouraged by General Assembly Resolution 68/268 on strengthening and enhancing the effective functioning of the human rights Treaty Body system, adopted in April 2014 (A/RES/68/268). 27 See also Compliance by States parties with international human rights Treaty Body reporting obligations, Note by the Secretariat, 1 March 2017, HRI/MS/2017/2. 28 To ensure compliance with the reporting calendar, the Committee later amended its provisional rules of procedure to provide for the consideration of States parties in absence of a report (Rule 31 bis, available at: https://goo.gl/CjesWJ). 34 29 The Harmonized Guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties, including guidelines on a common core document and treaty-specific documents (HRI/MC/2006/3) are available at: https://goo.gl/F0Lmhi