A/HRC/36/57
15.
Depending on the nature of the request, the modalities for country engagement may
include, inter alia: country missions; training activities for State institutions, indigenous
peoples’ organizations, national human rights institutions and other stakeholders; video or
audio calls; in-person meetings in Geneva or in other locations; email exchanges; formal
communication through diplomatic channels.
D.
Invitations and requests for country engagement
16.
States or indigenous peoples may request the Expert Mechanism to engage at
country level. Requests from States will be received through the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the secretariat of the Expert
Mechanism via diplomatic channels. Requests from indigenous peoples will be submitted
to OHCHR or the secretariat of the Expert Mechanism, using a template made available on
the Expert Mechanism website. Requests should provide at least the following information:
(a)
Requesting institution/organization;
(b)
Name of contact person(s);
(c)
Description of the situation;
(d)
remedies;
Steps that have been taken to address the issue, including any domestic
(e)
Expected action by and technical advice to be supplied by the Expert
Mechanism;
(f)
Whether State authorities or other stakeholders have been consulted about or
informed of the request submitted to the Expert Mechanism;
(g)
Proposed time frame;
(h)
Any other relevant information.
17.
The Expert Mechanism will acknowledge receipt of all requests, and may accept or
decline requests as necessary or desired, taking into account existing capacity and resources
as well as geographical balance. The Expert Mechanism will also give due attention to
issues of current interest, bearing in mind the overall implementation of its mandate
(including other elements, such as reports and studies), in order to prioritize requests.
Requests that cannot be accepted immediately may be kept in a waiting list and addressed
at a later stage.
18.
The members of the Expert Mechanism will decide internally which specific
members will be assigned to engage with each request, including potential country visits.
The decision will be made in accordance with the expertise and portfolio of each expert.
Regional expertise and knowledge of local languages should also be taken into account.
19.
Terms of reference should be agreed for every country engagement activity in the
light of the mandate of the Expert Mechanism. Modalities of engagement, timelines and the
types of activity envisioned, as well as the expected final product, should be prepared by
the Expert Mechanism in consultation with the requester(s) and other relevant stakeholders.
The terms of reference should also include modalities for the disclosure of information, in
agreement with the requester and other stakeholders.
20.
Country engagement may include country missions by Expert Mechanism members
at the request of States and/or indigenous peoples. The approval and cooperation of all
parties should be sought. If the proposed country mission is triggered by a request from
indigenous peoples, the Expert Mechanism should duly inform the Member State
concerned to make sure that the Government agrees to the proposed visit.
21.
Country missions may be undertaken for the purposes outlined in paragraph 1
above. Specific activities may include:
(a)
16
Collection of good practices, lessons learned, challenges and testimonies;