HRC: Suggested guidelines for NGO oral interventions

Suggested guidelines for NGO oral interventions, Human Rights Council (4th session, 12 – 30 March 2007)

1. At the request of the President and taking into account discussions held
between the President and various groups of NGOs on the matter, the following
guidelines for speaking time arrangements relating to NGOs at the 4th regular session
of the Human Rights Council are suggested.

2. The suggested guidelines should be applied on an interim basis, as the Council
has yet to decide its methods of work. They will thus not constitute a precedent for
future sessions and are being suggested only in relation to the specific time
management challenges of the 4th session of the Human Rights Council.

3. Opening of List of Speakers: to facilitate the participation of NGOs not
represented in Switzerland, the List of Speakers will be opened on Tuesday 13 March
for meetings held on 14, 15 and 16 and 19 p.m. March; on Monday 19 March p.m. for
meetings held on 20, 21, 22, 23 and 26 p.m. March; and on Monday 26 March p.m.
for meetings held on 27, 28 and 29 March.

4. In order to facilitate the participation of NGOs not represented in Switzerland,
pre-inscriptions by fax (+41 22 917 03 34) will be allowed for NGOs not
based/represented in Switzerland, as soon as the List of Speakers for NGOs will be
opened in the plenary room (on Tuesday 13 March 2007), and will follow the
schedule indicated above (see point 3): (e.g. as of 13 March, pre-inscriptions can be
submitted for 14, 15, 16 and 19 March only). Pre-inscriptions will have to be
confirmed in person prior to the commencement of relevant segment.
Interactive Dialogues:

• NGOs’ individual interventions/questions in interactive dialogues with the
  High Commissioner and Special Procedures mandate-holders will be up to 3
  minutes each, as announced by the President.
• NGOs are encouraged to formulate brief and to-the-point questions and
  comments related to reports being considered.
• It being understood that a maximum of 3 minutes could be used for an
  individual NGO intervention, NGOs coordination is encouraged to maximize
  the use of total time available to NGOs (which should be calculated on the
  basis of two to three interventions of three minutes each per dialogue).
• While the List of Speakers will be drawn on a ‘first come first serve’ basis,
  precedence will be given to NGOs that have not taken the floor as yet during
  the interactive dialogues. Particular consideration will be given to NGOs not
  based/represented in Switzerland.

General and related debates:

• NGOs’ individual statements will be up to 3 minutes, as announced by the
  President.
• NGOs’ joint interventions with a large number of co-sponsors will be placed
  on top of the list; no additional time will be allocated.
• NGOs coordination is encouraged to maximize the use of total time available.
• While the List of Speakers will be drawn on a ‘first come first serve’ basis,
  precedence will be given to NGOs that have not taken the floor as yet during
  the general and related debates. Particular consideration will be given to
  NGOs not based/represented in Switzerland.

More information:

• The first opportunity for NGOs to speak at the session will be the Dialogue with the High Commissioner, scheduled for Wednesday 14 March p.m., in preparation of which her oral statement will be circulated to all participants on the eve prior to the dialogue (my office will be sending it electronically to all of you as soon as it becomes available tomorrow afternoon)
• As previously announced, the HRC Secretariat- jointly with CONGO and ISHR- will organise two NGO Orientation sessions, on Thursday 15 March and Monday 19 March, from 13:00 to 15:00 hours in Room XXI.
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