Report of the Conference Workstation 7: Engagement with international human rights mechanisms Facilitator Boyan Konstantinov, UNDP Rapporteur Atef Majali, NHRI Jordan Question 1: Gaps in Yogyakarta Principles in relation to engagement with international human rights mechanisms • Better engagement with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process is required – but is lacking • Shadow reporting efforts are good – but practices need to be shared more • Need to boost the role of the human rights council – specify in the Principles • Training for CSOs on how to engage well with the international human rights mechanisms • Better engagement with UN on the integration and promotion of the Principles • Discrepancies in CSO capacity to engage – build on knowledge and skill building • Mapping of treaty bodies and their relevance and effectiveness in engaging with individual countries in relation to the Principles • Include Independent Expert’s role in the Principles • Support the mandate of the Independent Expert – reference support also to the human rights council • How to approach the lack of NHRIs in certain countries? Can we use regional frameworks and/or create them – regional dialogues • Explicitly mention roles of NHRIs and Principles and need to create them where they don’t exist (principle 27) • Additional recommendations – UNWOMEN to be included • Reference to enforced disappearance is not there in the Principles. Question 2: Roles of specific actors State agencies • Embassies need to play a role in raising issues of rights of LGBTI people and the Principles – they can then report and inform recommendations to their representatives in Geneva • Shrinking space for civil society needs to be addressed. NHRIs • NHRIs can do training with UN assistance on networking of CSOs • NHRIs and other national institutions need to help establish as well as improve connection to missions in Geneva and New York to engage with the human rights mechanisms on LGBTI rights • Include explicit reference to the Principles in NHRI and shadow reports. 37