THE CONTRIBUTION OF NGOS TO CERD’S WORK they can coordinate their work for the preparation of individual reports. It may sometimes be difficult to establish a coalition, especially because NGOs might have diverse and sometimes conflicting positions, or may prefer to have their own positions clearly presented rather than having to consider certain concessions. But despite these inconveniences, we believe there is much to be gained from such an approach because of the greater impact the report will have on CERD members. Also, since NGOs with an established international reputation have often been recognized for the credibility of the information they provide to various UN bodies, some form of affiliation with such NGOs may enhance the status and credibility of domestic NGOs. International NGOs experienced in the work of CERD, such as ARIS, can also be of great help to national NGOs for such purposes as access to the UN; lobbying and identifying Committee members who might be interested in the issues of their concern; collecting documents; and, in the absence of the NGO s representatives in Geneva, handing out the supplementary report directly to members of the Committee. Mundo Afro, a Uruguayan NGO which submitted a supplementary report to CERD in August 1999, for the first time, informed us of their positive experience with international NGOs: they had received assistance from IMADR and ARIS in preparing their report as to its format, language and argumentation; in contacting the Country Rapporteur for Uruguay; in sending two of their representatives to Geneva who circulated copies of the supplementary report among members of CERD; and in organizing an informal briefing session. ... the government — It may be useful if domestic NGOs not only discuss the preparation of the report with the government concerned, but also let the government s delegation know what questions NGOs will recommend members of the Committee to ask during the consideration of the report. It often happens that the delegation may not have the data or the competent staff available and that the answers will be deferred to the next time a report of the country will be examined (i.e. two years later at the earliest); such delays can be prevented by providing the government with advance information. ... parliamentarians —This may be especially useful in states where the government is very sensitive to concerns raised by the legislature, and indirect lobbying through parliamentarians may be considered. ... the media —The media can be a valuable partner in informing the public about the consideration of the report. In cases where there is a correspondent or a local branch of the national media of the country concerned in Geneva or nearby, contacts may be established with both the headquarters in the country and the correspondent — if possible in person. In cases where no such branch exists, it is still worth trying to encourage the national media to send a reporter to Geneva. Approaching international media that follow UN events is another way to enhance NGOs advocacy work in connection with CERD s consideration of a state report. In order that the issues of particular concern and/or significance can be covered properly, NGOs might consider briefing people responsible for the media about those issues, the scope and content of the Convention, and the procedures of the Committee. How to write a supplementary report37 Structure: ● Front page: An important purpose of a report is to attract the attention of the Committee members. The front page should give essential information regarding the country, and the name of the organization that has prepared the report. ● Table of contents: Again for the purpose of attracting the attention of Committee members, a detailed table of contents should be included, not only to give Committee members a clear idea about the content of the report, but also to enable them to refer directly to the particular points they are interested in. ● Introduction: We have to assume that Committee members will encounter names of NGOs which they may not know and the introduction should therefore contain a short description of the mandate and nature of the NGOs. The introduction should also contain a summary of the main points. Illustration — The preface of the report of the Swiss NGO Forum Against Racism starts with: ‘The “Forum against Racism” is a coalition and network of more than eighty anti-racism organisations and numerous individual members in the whole of Switzerland. It was founded in the autumn of 1991 after a series of attacks against accommodations of asylum seekers. The forum wants to promote the exchange of information between its members and the public and try to exercise its influence at the national and the international level.’38 ICERD: A GUIDE FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 13