Part II Preventing torture: NHRIs in action | Section III Acting as a control mechanism 2.1.2. Role of NHRIs in the treaty body complaints procedure If the State has accepted the individual complaints procedure, NHRIs can raise public awareness about this provision of the treaty and can consider assisting individuals to submit complaints. Depending on their mandate, NHRIs may also be able to submit cases to treaty bodies on behalf of individuals. They can disseminate decisions of treaty bodies concerning individual complaints, as well as follow-up on these decisions and try to ensure that the Government implements them. The conclusions of these treaty bodies also provide an important source of jurisprudence that can be useful for the work of NHRIs. In 2007, the Australian Human Rights Commission drew on jurisprudence of the Human Rights Committee in its finding that 58 federal laws were in breach of Australia’s human rights obligations. Watch Go to the Preventing Torture CD-Rom to watch more on how NHRIs can engage effectively with the international human rights system on issues concerning torture and ill-treatment. Click on ‘Feature materials’ and then select ‘Item 8 – NHRIs: Working with the international human rights system’. 1.3. NHRIs and the Committee against Torture The Convention against Torture establishes the Committee against Torture, a body that monitors the performance of States parties in meeting their obligations under the treaty. The Committee has a broad mandate. Not only does it examine reports submitted by States parties, it can also carry out confidential inquiries into allegations of systematic torture, examine individual complaints (where States have accepted this procedure) and make general comments to help States, NHRIs and others interpret and understand the treaty. 1.3.1. State reporting procedure States parties have an obligation to submit a report to the Committee against Torture every four years, setting out what steps they have taken to implement their obligations under the treaty. As with reports prepared for other treaty bodies, NHRIs may be consulted in the preparation of the State party’s report. NHRIs can also submit their own shadow report to the Committee, as well as provide information for the written list of issues sent to the State party prior to consideration of the report. The list of issues is adopted one session prior to the session during which the Committee considers the State’s report. The Committee’s website includes information on the participation of NHRIs (and NGOs) in the reporting process.35 Since 2005, NHRIs that have submitted written information may also have a private meeting with the Committee a day prior to the dialogue with the State delegation. These one-hour briefings provide NHRIs with the opportunity to highlight and update the Committee on key issues. 35 See: www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/follow_up_ngo.htm. Chapter 7: Cooperating with international mechanisms | 67