THE CONTRIBUTION OF NGOS TO CERD’S WORK If NGOs can send someone to the CERD session in Geneva, the following activities, among others, can be considered. (In order to find out the exact date of the examination of the state report, NGOs may seek early contact with either CERD s Secretariat, the government concerned or the permanent mission of the country to the UN.) NB: An identity pass is required for access to the UN building: send a letter to CERD s Secretariat well in advance indicating clearly the names of the NGO representatives who wish to attend. Organize a briefing: NGOs might try to arrange informal briefings for Committee members, lasting approximately one hour (normally during lunchtime), before the Committee examines the report of a state party. Such briefings can be used to explain issues and problems, and to answer any questions which members may raise. Arrangements can be made in consultation with, and with the assistance of, the secretary of CERD, ARIS and/or the Country Rapporteur. Many members of the Committee told us of the usefulness of such briefings. tre. The entire discussion will be interpreted simultaneously into English, French and Spanish, and additionally into Arabic, Chinese or Russian when Committee members or the states delegation speak those languages. The schedule generally followed for the examination of a state report is as follows: An afternoon meeting from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: ● opening speech by the chairperson and welcoming of the country s delegation; ● the head of the country s delegation introduces the state report and may add comments and supplementary information to the report; ● analytical comments and questions by the Country Rapporteur; ● comments and questions by other Committee members; and, ● the delegation may respond to these questions immediately if information is available, otherwise it will respond the following morning. The following morning, meeting from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Lobbying: Unfortunately NGOs do not have the right to make statements during the session, but they can try to make informal contacts with members of the Committee outside the meeting hours, in addition to organizing a briefing as mentioned above. However, respect the busy schedule of each member who has to deal with more than 10 countries in three (or four) weeks. Observation of the session — a short explanation for new visitors CERD s meetings are normally held at the Conference Room XI (11) in the Palais des Nations — the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland.39 The tables are arranged in the form of a horseshoe and the seats on both sides are reserved for the 18 members of CERD. The president (or chairperson), whose task is to guide the discussion, heads the top of the horseshoe, which is on the lefthand side when entering the room. The delegation of the state concerned sits on the president s right, and on the left is the secretary who is responsible for technical matters. Press and representatives of other UN organs sit at the table in the centre. To observe the meeting, NGOs may take a seat at the audience corner, which is on the righthand side of the entrance. The state reports of the session are available from the pigeonholes near the entrance. Press releases for each meeting are on the table in the cen- 16 ● answers from the delegation; ● additional comments/questions by Committee members, if they so wish; ● concluding remarks by the Country Rapporteur; ● final remarks by the delegation; and, ● closing of the meeting. The Country Rapporteur drafts Concluding Observations; these are considered, towards the end of the session, by the Committee as a whole for adoption. These Concluding Observations represent the collective views of the Committee and, as will be explained below, are an important means for follow-up action. How to follow the session from outside NGOs that are unable to come to Geneva can still follow the meeting by consulting the press release, which is available on the website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (www.unhchr.ch). A press release is issued for every meeting (a three-hour meeting either in the morning or afternoon is counted as one) on the following day. Press releases, as they are not official UN documents, are not handed out at the documentation desk of the UN Geneva Office. Summary records are the official descriptions of the Committee s work, these can be obtained from the same website or can be ordered from the UN documentation desk. The document number ICERD: A GUIDE FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS