Conducting a National Inquiry into Systemic Patterns of Human Rights Violation Whether the event is a media conference or a conference, the NHRI should ensure that the chairperson of the inquiry speaks to summarise the principal findings and recommendations in the report. There should also be a small number of other speakers, including victims and experts, who can add personal stories and experiences and solid analysis to the discussion. The media representatives should have an opportunity to ask questions of the speakers and to interview them. If possible and appropriate, the event could also include some video footage of the human rights situation that was examined and of the inquiry conducting a public hearing. The media will be interested in the inquiry but it will need good, newsworthy material that it can report. The speakers at the launch and the video material provide this. To assist the media further, the NHRI must provide a briefing kit to media representatives at the release event. The media kit should include brief, easy-to-understand summaries of the inquiry’s main findings and recommendations and background material, especially statistics and statements of personal experience. The briefing kit helps the inquiry to shape the media coverage of the report by giving the media clear indications of the inquiry’s own views of what is most important and most urgent in the report and of what should have priority in implementation. 14.4. AFTER THE MAIN RELEASE EVENT The inquiry’s main event for the report’s release should not be the only activity undertaken at that time. Indeed the main event need not be the only event organised by the NHRI for the release. There can be other similar events, for example, in other parts of the country, such as other major cities or regions where groups of victims are located or where the violations occurred. These events can occur simultaneously with the main event or soon afterwards to supplement it. They will be especially important where: • victims who have participated in the inquiry want to be involved in some release activity but cannot easily attend the main event • media are decentralised and will only report what occurs locally and so local events are necessary to ensure wide media coverage throughout the country • local events will increase the pressure on local parliamentarians to support implementation of the inquiry’s recommendations. A programme of release events, even small ones, may be desirable to build support for implementation. The NHRI should also ensure speedy distribution of the report so that those most interested in it, especially those who have participated in the inquiry, will be able to know and support the inquiry’s recommendations. The NHRI should ensure that, in addition to all Government ministers and members of parliament, the report is distributed to: • all those who made submissions to the inquiry or appeared as witnesses • relevant political leaders and government officials • relevant stakeholders and NGOs • libraries, community centres and other outlets. The full report should also be available on the NHRI’s website as soon as it is released. The NHRI should also release and promote any supplementary materials, such as editions or summaries of the report in minority languages, community editions and summaries, and videos. It should ensure, in particular, that the report is accessible to people with disabilities and persons in prison and detention. The NHRI should look for relevant conferences and meetings sponsored by other organisations at which inquiry members could speak to inform and promote implementation of the recommendations. The NHRI should have a broad strategy to follow up the report, as the next chapter discusses. 72