Methodology

The preparation of the Report proceeded as follows:1.Dissemination of 1550 requests for submissions to a wide range of interested parties

(ECOSOC-accredited NGOs with human rights specific interest; International Law Association members; Academic Council on the UN System; national institutions; parliamentary human rights bodies; permanent missions of states in New York and Geneva; UN agencies and other bodies; chairs of treaty bodies; secretariat of treaty bodies; CEDAW members; OHCHR field presences; special rapporteurs; academic experts)

2.          Receipt of 104 written submissions (List attached)

3.          Personal interviews conducted with a wide range of interested parties

(treaty body members; UN secretariat; UN agencies; representatives of states parties; NGOs; UN actors (special rapporteurs, field mission representatives); national institutions)

Larger meetings were organized and held with (a) each treaty body except CEDAW; in the case of CEDAW meetings were conducted with individual members including the Chair (b) the Chairpersons' meeting (c) NGO consultation during the Commission on Human Rights. Solicitation of information was also done at the annual meetings of National Institutions, Field Presences, and in writing to the Special Rapporteurs.

A consultation with individual experts from a wide range of parties (former treaty body members, UN secretariat, participants in regional human rights bodies, special rapporteurs, UN agencies, working groups, the Sub-Commission).

4.          A national impact study was designed for evaluation of the impact of the human rights treaties at the national level. This entailed the following components:

             (a)        identification of 20 countries to be studied in depth, four from each of the five geographical regions:

                          Africa:              Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, Zambia

                          Asia:                 India, Iran, Japan, Philippines

                          EE:                    Czech Republic, Estonia, Romania, Russia 

                          LAC:                 Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico

                          WEOG:             Australia, Canada, Finland, Spain 

             (b)        The development of a standard questionnaire to be answered by each of twenty national correspondents. The questionnaire required interviews with a multiplicity of actors at the national level, including NGOs, media, government officials. (Questionnaire attached)

             (c)        The production of twenty national reports, based on the questionnaire and interviews. (July 2000) (List of consultants and contributors attached)

             (d)        Preparation of an overall lessons-learned paper on the basis of the twenty national experiences with the treaty system. (July 2000) (To be published, together with the national reports, by Professors Christof Heyns and Frans Viljoen: Kluwer Law International, 2001)

5.          Preparation of interim reports:

             (a)        a Draft OHCHR Guiding Statement on Vision, Values, Mission and Performance Indicators (May 1999)

             (b)        an interim report for OHCHR on servicing of the treaty bodies. (May 1999)

             (c)        a discussion paper for an expert consultation. (January 2000).

             (d)        an interim report to OHCHR on recommendations concerning the treaty system for direct implementation by OHCHR. (June 2000)

             (e)        a statistical analysis of the operation of the treaty system for the Meeting of Chairpersons of the Treaty Bodies. (June 2000)

6.          Preparation of the final report (April 2001).