Opening Ceremony
Thursday, 12 March 2015, total time 60 minutes
Each speaker to be requested to speak for a maximum of 10 minutes.
Introduction
This Guidance Note has been prepared by the ICC 28 Preparatory Committee in order to ensure a successful meeting by clarifying the role and expectations of Session Chairs and Speakers.
1 Session Chairs
There are 5 Thematic Sessions during ICC 28, representatives from the ICC’s 4 geographic regions will each chair a session and the ICC Chair will chair the fifth.
2 Wrap up
It is requested that that the end of each Session, the Session Chair provides a brief 5 minute Wrap up. This will assist in collating the ICC 28 Report.
3 Speakers
NHRI Speakers are requested to limit their presentations to the maximum time indicated beneath. This is in order to provide sufficient time for discussion and comments from the floor. The Session Chairs are requested to strictly enforce this time limit. The ICC 28 Preparatory Committee has sought to ensure geographic and gender representation on the Session Panels.
4 Written inputs
All Speakers are requested to provide the Session Chair and NIRMS with a written input of their presentation. This written input should be no longer that 1 000 words. The document may be provided in one of the official languages of the ICC and will be made available on the ICC webpage afterwards.
5 Specific information
Please find the session which you are involved with beneath for further information.
SESSION 1 – POST 2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA (TOTAL TIME, 120 MINUTES)
Thursday, 12 March 2015, 11 AM until 1 PM
 Introduction and General Overview by the Chair (5- 10 minutes maximum)
 3 Speakers (maximum 7 -10 minutes each)
 Discussion 75 minutes
 Wrap up 5 minutes
NOTE
UNDP will make an intervention from the floor for 5 – 7 minutes. To be invited to do so when the discussion is opened by the Session Chair.
General
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It is widely expected that by the end of 2015 the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be replaced by a new set of goals and targets to be attained by 2030. The new sustainable development goals will address a number of human development issues that in turn are human rights issues and they will have a significant impact on the environment for human rights for years to come. National human rights institutions
(NHRIs) have a potentially important role to play in ensuring that there is strong integration of human rights standards, principles, and indicators and targets in the finalisation of the post 2015 Development Agenda.
Furthermore, NHRIs may also have a monitoring role to play in the implementation of the post 2015
Development Agenda.
The proposed panel will discuss the potential role of the ICC and NHRIs in these developments.
SESSION 2 - NATIONAL INQUIRIES BY NHRIS (TOTAL TIME, 90 MINUTES)
Friday, 13 March 2015, 9 AM until 11:30 AM
 Introduction and general overview by the Session Chair – 5 - 10 minutes
 3 speakers, each to be allocated -7 - 10 minutes MAXIMUM
 Discussion - 50 minutes
 Wrap up - 5 minutes
General
A national inquiry relates to a range of functions of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), including investigation, analysis, reporting, advice, awareness raising and human rights education. In recent years, NHRIs have made increasing use of national inquiries as a methodology in conducting their work and as a result a range of experiences, lessons learned and best practices have emerged. In 2012 the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) developed a tool, a “Manual on Conducting a National Inquiry into Systemic Patterns of Human Rights
Violation” which provides practical guidance to NHRIs on how to conduct national inquiries.
The proposed panel will focus on the use of national inquiries by NHRIs and provide for the opportunity to share practical experiences, lessons learned and recommendations.
SESSION 3 - NHRIs GOVERNANCE (TOTAL TIME, 90 MINUTES)
Friday, 13 March 2015, 11:30 AM until 1 PM
 Introduction and General Overview by the Chair - 5 - 7 minutes
 Include a few words of clarification about the session and what it will be addressing.
 4 speakers, 5 – 7 minutes each
 Discussion, that heated 50 minutes
 Wrap up 5 minutes
General
On several occasions in the past, NHRIs' governance has been suggested as a possible theme for an ICC General
Meeting, including by former ICC Secretary and most recently for the ICC’s 27th General Meeting yet has never been discussed at the ICC level. A discussion on governance of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) will resonate with all NHRIs, and is likely to particularly benefit those that have been recently established.
The proposed panel will review different types of governance structures of NHRIs, whilst providing a platform
to share experiences, good practices, and lessons learned and recommendations.
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SESSION 4 - VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMAN (total time 90 minutes)
Friday, 13 March 2015, 3 PM until 4:30 PM
 Introduction and General Overview by the Session Chair, 5 minutes MAXIMUM
 5 Speakers, 5 - 7 minutes
 Discussion, 35 – 40 minutes
 Wrap up 5 minutes
General
Further to the 11 th ICC International Conference on “The human rights of women and girls: Promoting gender equality: The role of national human rights institutions”, the Human Rights Council Resolution 23/17 of 13
June 2013 commended the decision of the ICC to dedicate a session at future annual General Meetings to the role of national human rights institutions in promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls. In line with this resolution, women’s rights related issues have become incorporated in agenda items at the ICC
General Meetings since the 11 th International Conference.
The proposed panel provides an opportunity to discuss and share experiences and best practices on the role of
NHRIs in preventing and combatting violence against women, as well as monitoring international and regional instruments that seek to protect women from violence.
SESSION 5 - NHRIS ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND WAY
FORWARD (total time 75 minutes)
Friday, 13 March 2015, 4:30 PM until 5:45 PM
PLEASE NOTE, THE SESSION MUST FINISH PROMPTLY IN ORDER THAT FINAL ANNOUNCEMENTS MAY BE
MADE AND THE MEETING CLOSED.
 Introduction and General Overview by the Session Chair, 5 - 7 minutes
 Three speakers, 5 - 7 minutes
 Discussion, 35 minutes
 Wrap up, 5 minutes
NOTE
There may be a video statement from the CRPD Chairperson. This will be screened at the beginning of the discussion. Further information will be made available. (5 minutes)
General
At the inaugural meeting held on 25 September 2014, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and national human rights institutions (NHRIs) discussed and identified concrete avenues for cooperation in the monitoring and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at national, regional and international levels. These include the development of Guidelines by the Committee for
NHRI participation in the Committee's work; the development of indicators and a database to measure the implementation of the Convention; regional workshops; the use of the Committee's capacity building role under Article 37 of the CRPD as well as cooperation with civil society organisations and Disabled Peoples
Organisations (DPOs).
The General Meeting is a unique occasion to build on this positive momentum. The proposed panel will serve as a platform to share the meeting outcome, discuss the way forward, including the upcoming Conference of
States Parties to the Convention, and the formalization of an ICC working group on disability.
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