Conducting a National Inquiry into Systemic Patterns of Human Rights Violation It is very important for the national inquiry to capitalise on public interest by releasing a report as soon as possible after the conclusion of public activities. If the report comes after a lengthy gap – say six or 12 months – then public interest will have waned and the inquiry will find it very difficult to revive it. The inquiry builds up its own momentum as it is undertaken and the report should ride the wave of that momentum rather than miss it. Planning and commencing preparation of the report from the beginning of the inquiry will help to ensure it is completed within a reasonable time and that, at its release, there will be a well-grounded base of support for what it finds and recommends. 13.2. REPORTING AGAINST OBJECTIVES The inquiry’s report plays a significant part in the inquiry meeting its objectives. Investigation It presents the evidence collected and the findings. Analysis It provides the underlying context and causes. Information It gives basic data to inform the community. Education It increases knowledge of human rights. Recommendation It makes the case for the recommendations. Empowerment It offers victims and their supporters a basis for advocacy and action. Because of the inquiry’s multiple objectives, the report has to serve many different functions. If the report is to meet the many different objectives of the inquiry, the inquiry must be clear, before the writing task begins, about: • to whom it is reporting • the kind of report it is writing • the contents of the report • the structure of the report • the style of the report • alternative and supplementary reporting formats. Preparation of the report should begin as early as possible, with critical decisions made about these issues. 13.3. TO WHOM TO REPORT A national inquiry has legal, moral and political obligations in reporting. The inquiry has a legal obligation to report to the parliament, usually through the Government or a specific Government minister. Most laws establishing NHRIs provide that the NHRI should report on its activities generally and on specific investigations to the parliament. Some institutions are able to report directly to parliament by providing copies of their reports to the President or Speaker of the parliament. Others are required to report through a designated minister, usually the Minister for Justice or the Attorney General. Sometimes the parliament has rules governing the reporting process, including quite prescriptive provisions about the nature of the report, for example, the size of the paper, the kind of binding, the use of photographs and illustrations. It is important for the inquiry to meet all parliamentary reporting requirements. The inquiry should ensure early in its work that it understands those requirements and tailors the preparation of the report towards complying with them. 64