Case study: Submitting a shadow report In January 2004 the CEDAW reviewed the state report of Nepal. The Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD), based in Nepal, coordinated a coalition of 17 Nepali NGOs to submit a shadow report. FWLD works for the elimination of discrimination against women and has identified caste-based discrimination against Dalit women as an issue of serious concern. An initial meeting was held, in April 2003, to discuss the schedule for production of the shadow report. Following that, advertisements in newspapers and broadcasts on the radio called for NGO participation. Letters of invitation were sent to women’s and human rights organizations. The planning meeting saw the formation of committees to divide up the work and discussion of the issues to be included in the shadow report. They decided that part of the report would contain an Articleby-Article analysis and part would focus on emerging issues. Issues selected included: Dalit women, HIV/AIDS, indigenous women, and women and armed conflict. The chosen writing format was: prevalence of the problem, implementation status of the previous Concluding Observations, critical areas of concern, gaps and weaknesses, and recommendations. When the first draft was complete, in August, the coalition undertook a national consultation. They advertised in newspapers for interested participants and invited grassroots NGOs through their networks. Over 230 participants from 34 districts of Nepal attended the September consultation. During the meeting, the draft shadow report was presented by Article and by theme, and group discussions took place on each. The national consultation received media coverage from both Nepali- and English-language newspapers in Nepal. The text was revised, incorporating the comments received during the national consultation. Following editing, the completed shadow report was published and submitted to the CEDAW in mid-November 2003. Two coalition representatives were interviewed about the report on the radio. Before the CEDAW session, the coalition held a strategy meeting to discuss the prioritizing of issues during the presentation to committee members. Media work around the CEDAW session was intensive. The coalition held a pre-session meeting with the press to brief them on the report and the issues to be raised. Representatives of the coalition attended the session in New York, briefed CEDAW members and answered their questions. The briefing attracted wide newspaper coverage in Nepal. Following the CEDAW examination of the government report, NGO attendees were interviewed on radio and television, and they held another press meeting to highlight issues in the Concluding Observations. The NGOs have now started a new phase of follow-up to ensure that the Concluding Observations result in concrete changes at the local level. Planned activities include translating the Concluding Observations into Nepali and other ethnic languages, and developing indicators to monitor implementation of the observations. 14 at that session. NGOs can arrange briefings for the CERD, CRC and HRC members outside meeting times. These briefings are often held at lunchtime, usually immediately before the committee begins consideration of the state report, and last about one hour. Not all committee members attend NGO briefings and some never attend. The briefing gives you the opportunity to explain issues, update members on developments since submitting the shadow report and to answer questions from the members. Contact the secretariat for help in organizing a briefing meeting. Depending on the Country Rapporteur, it may be possible for NGOs to meet privately with him/her to discuss questions and make recommendations that you would like the committee to consider. It may also give you an opportunity to counter any inaccurate information provided by the government during its briefing. Note that not all committee members are open to this type of lobbying; some feel it is unnecessary because they have already received written NGO information. Other committee members may also be open to meeting privately with NGOs. A press release is issued for each open meeting of the committees and displayed on the OHCHR website. If you are unable to attend the session you can find out about the discussions through the press releases. An official summary (called a ‘summary record’) of each meeting is also issued. These are usually available in the language in which they were produced (either English or French) a few weeks after the session. Concluding Observations Initial drafts of the Concluding Observations are usually prepared by the secretariat and modified by the Country Rapporteur. The process varies between committees but in all cases the committee as a whole adopts the final version. All committees discuss and adopt Concluding Observations in private sessions. The adopted Concluding Observations are released to the public and made available on the OHCHR website during the session, except for the CEDAW who post them on the Division for the Advancement of Women (DAW) website two to three weeks after the session. The secretariats of the CESCR, CRC and HRC send Concluding Observations to the NGOs who provided information. The CERD secretariat will send them if requested. Follow-up Arguably the most important contribution NGOs make to the reporting process is in the follow-up to Concluding Observations. The adoption of good Concluding Observations is not an end in itself but a tool to use in national advocacy. Planning an effective follow-up process is crucial. MINORITY RIGHTS: A GUIDE TO UNITED NATIONS PROCEDURES AND INSTITUTIONS