The Reporting Procedure 4 the basis for developing an outline of the report so that the drafting group can start gathering the information needed to draft the report. TIP ÎÎTo ensure that the identified sources of information provide focused and relevant inputs, the drafting group may formulate guiding questions, clearly stipulating a word limit on the responses it expects to receive. The drafting group should be able to access information and data from reports prepared by ministries, governmental institutions and agencies, and intergovernmental bodies. The last-mentioned are suggested since these bodies, for example the United Nations specialized agencies, often prepare reports on a variety of issues that should be evaluated for their relevance in human rights reporting. These documents, reports, surveys and statistical tables are usually based on information and data collected directly from the governments, so they can be a very important source of information in the preparation of reports for UN human rights Treaty Bodies. Gathering the information needed to draft a report implies handling and keeping track of an enormous amount of information for the drafting group. The creation of a documentation and data management system or centre is therefore suggested so as to facilitate this work. Ideally States – the NMRF  – should maintain their documentation and data management system by updating it on a regular basis with a view to facilitating an accurate, timely and comprehensive assessment of their human rights situation at all times. Any information management system should also include tracking of the implementation of the large number of recommendations and decisions from the three main UN human rights mechanisms and regional human rights mechanisms, which can save time and resources in the future preparation of treaty reports. This can be done through developing and maintaining an implementation plan in basic Word or Excel formats, thematically clustering recommendations and decisions, identifying the agencies or departments responsible for implementation, assigning responsibilities as well as timeframes and indicators for implementation, and keeping track of implementation. Such an implementation plan can additionally be oriented to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) so as to facilitate reporting in that context to national, regional and global review mechanisms, including the High-Level Political Forum. An implementation plan can also be established through using specific databases or online platforms. When publicly accessible, such tools greatly improve public accountability and transparency. OHCHR is in the process of offering a prototype of a National Recommendations Tracking Database to countries which are interested in using such a database. 45

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