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| INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS | Commission on Human Rights | ||
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CIVIL SOCIETY PARTICIPATION AT THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS Considering that there are more than 190 Members of the UN, no more than one-third of the entire UN membership is represented on the Commission at any one time. Nonetheless, the CHR may pass resolutions citing human rights violations in any country, even those that are not CHR members. States not holding a seat on the CHR may participate in the meetings by presenting speeches and caucusing, but are not accorded a vote. This is generally the same treatment given to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). If an NGO has consultative status within the UN, they are permitted to give speeches and provide information to the States. Furthermore, the NGO advocacy that occurs within Commission meetings often extends to activities outside CHR meetings. During the CHR's annual session, the NGO community typically holds parallel sessions to discuss human rights work done outside the political sphere of the CHR. Unofficially, these parallel meetings extend the work of the CHR. Also, the NGOs' participation in the CHR session may serve to pressure governments to listen to the concerns of the NGOs' constituency or give greater credibility to the work of the particular NGO. Analysis The consultative status of NGOs is an important recent evolution in the UN system and it reflects the growth of stature that NGOs have seen in the last half-century. However, the real effects of such NGO intervention within the Commission are not yet clear. Undoubtedly, the NGOs do play an important role in facilitating the work of the Special Procedures: not only do they help to finance their work, but they also often provide the Special Procedures with important information. However, recent sessions of the Commission have seen a rise in GONGOs-government-organized "non-governmental organizations." The purpose of these GONGOs is often two-fold: they promote the view of the sponsoring government, as well as squander some of the CHR's extremely limited meeting time. Even if all of the NGOs in attendance have valid concerns supported by a strong constituency, the sheer number wishing to present a speech reduces the overall working time of the CHR. In previous sessions of the CHR, these time restraints have resulted in the Special Procedures being given only fifteen minutes to present their entire year's report. Another aspect of the CHR not often discussed is that much of the work of the Commission is actually done informally and outside of the Commission meeting room. Governments consult extensively prior to the official Commission sessions on issues such as which resolutions to propose and which Special Procedures to retain, and other similar concerns. Days before the actual resolution is put on the floor for discussion, CHR members will meet in closed sessions and attempt to write a resolution that will pass by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached in closed meetings, the country opposing the resolution will often call for a vote during the CHR discussions so that opposition to the resolution is recorded. Recommendations A number of recommendations are currently under consideration with regard to NGO participation in the UN system. Reforms in this area will affect not only the CHR, but also many of the other bodies in the UN system. The dilemma here mirrors the previously discussed dangers associated with over abundant human rights treaties. Only the most credible NGOs should be represented; if high standards for NGO accreditation are not instituted, civil society participation could detract from the work of the Commission. However, the UN cannot take an exclusionary approach to NGO involvement. The Secretary-General has taken a positive first step by commissioning a panel on UN relations with civil society. The UN NGO accreditation process must make distinctions between civil society, the private sector, and the governmental sector. In the CHR specifically, civil society should be brought into the informal decision-making processes by inviting a civil society representative to informal meetings or organizing civil society forums that facilitate interaction with the Commission. Click the links below for further information about the Commission on Human Rights. The Commission on Human Rights
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