111 Annex IV: Shadow report guidelines Do not underestimate the resources required to produce a shadow report (both financial and human). Plan well in advance. It is better to submit information on certain provisions of the treaty rather than miss the committee’s deadline for submission or submit it too late to be of any use because you are trying to address everything. Cover page – include the name of the country the shadow report addresses, the committee session that it has been prepared for and the NGO(s) that prepared it. Contents – a table of contents will ensure the committee members are clear about the issues raised in your report and can find specific information easily. Introduction – provide brief information on the NGO(s) that prepared the report, including their mandate(s) and any information that will enhance credibility in the eyes of the committee members. Main section – comprehensive shadow reports usually follow the structure of the state report and deal with each article of the convention in sequence. Shadow reports can be submitted without reference to the state report where the report is not made available. If you decide not to follow this format you can present the issues thematically but should ensure that the arguments presented are closely related to the articles of the convention. The committee’s General Comments/Recommendations can provide useful information on how the committee interprets the treaty articles. Under each article (or theme), outline the issue, focusing on any gaps or inconsistencies in the state report and remember to check whether your government has made any reservations to the treaty. Link your findings with previous Concluding Observations of the committee on the country in question, highlighting whether or not they have been implemented, and seek to address the queries provided in the committee’s List of Issues where possible (not all treaty bodies provide Lists of Issues nor are they necessarily adopted in due time to include in shadow reports). You may include questions that you would like the committee members to take up with the state. However, be careful of the tone you use, committee members will decide which questions to ask, so a demanding tone may be counter-productive.