Shining Light into Dark Corners 1 Submission of report Reports are submitted by stakeholders (including national reports, parallel reports from the NGOs, and independent opinions of the National Human Rights Commission etc.) 6 2 Implement and follow-up List of Issues Each government institution develops its own implement, management, and evaluation practices The National Report Review System 5 International Review Committee raises a list of issues December 10, 2020 – Commissioner of National Human Rights Commission Yeh Ta-hua released Independent Opinion on the Third National Report on the ICCPR and ICESCR on behalf of the National Human Rights Commission. 3 Concluding observations and Response to the recommendations list of issues The International Review Committee published concluding observations and recommendations Responses to the list of issues are given by government agencies or by the NGOs on a parallel basis 4 Review of National Report International review meetings are convened Article 5 of the Implementation Act (draft) stipulates to submit reports explaining the measures taken that "the National Human Rights Commission shall and the progresses made with respect to various develop specific measures against torture," which conventions to relevant institutions of the United empowers the National Human Rights Commission Nations, including: UN Human Rights Committee with more important duties. (Ar ticle 40 of ICCPR), UN Economic and Social Council (Articles 16 and 17 of ICESCR), 52 Establishment of National Reporting System and Invitation of International Review Committee to Taiwan Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination It has been stipulated in UN human rights CRC), and Committee on the Rights of Persons with conventions that all States Parties are obligated Disabilities (Article 35 of CRPD). against Women (Article 18 of CEDAW), UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Article 44 of How should Taiwan fulfill the two Covenants (4) World-renowned human rights expert/scholar. when it is not a member of the United Nations? (5) Previous involvement in reviewing human rights Taiwan adopted a distinctive and exclusive report of other countries. international review system when making its first national report of the two Covenants. In Via this system, government agencies and non- 2013, international human rights experts were governmental organizations can engage in invited to Taiwan to review the national report, constructive dialogues and exchanges with which followed the same procedures as UN; international human rights experts to enable Taiwan these experts then gave advice on the current to voluntarily adhere to and implement core human state of human rights in Taiwan, and published rights convention practices. This approach is well- concluding observations and recommendations. recognized and accepted by the international community. Members of the International Review Committee had to qualify for one of the following: After the National Human Rights Commission (1) Current or former member of a human rights- “Independent Opinion on the Third National Report related core committee under the United on the ICCPR and ICESCR” on December 10, Nations. 2020, and submitted the report to the International (2) Current or former member of a non-government organization under the United Nations. was founded, the commission presented the Review Committee for review. The NHRC also plans to present “Independent Opinion of the (3) Current or former special rapporteur for a core National Human Rights Commission on the Second human rights-related convention of the United National Report on the Convention on the CRPD” Nations. in 2021. 53