International Human Rights and the International Human Rights System A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions The NHRI can assist in promoting broad knowledge of and support for the TMB’s concluding observations and recommendations. Immediately after their release, the NHRI can distribute them to: • key Ministers and senior government officials • members of parliament • the media • human rights NGOs • relevant community organizations • relevant academics and other experts. 2.7. State response to the concluding observations and recommendations The TMB asks and expects the State to provide a formal response to the concluding observations and recommendations within a reasonable period after their release. Each TMB has its own follow up mechanism but, in general, there is a member or several members appointed for this. This member will provide such assistance as the State wishes in preparing its response. The NHRI too can assist the State in the preparation of the response, encouraging it to be as positive as possible and to respond with clear commitments to implementation. 2.8. Implementation and follow up Implementation is the key objective of the whole monitoring process, leading to better compliance with the treaty and better performance of treaty obligations. Implementation is a State responsibility but international assistance may be required, especially for least developed and developing States. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) may be able to provide assistance with implementation of recommendations made by TMBs. The NHRI can both promote and monitor implementation. It can promote implementation through: • informing the community and relevant key decision-makers about the recommendations • building community support for implementation • advocating with the Government and the parliament for implementation. It can monitor implementation through its regular programme of work and report to the TMB on the results of its monitoring. The TMB member with responsibility for follow up will seek information on implementation and the NHRI can ensure that that member is kept well-informed and is pressing the State for positive action. In the next reporting cycle, the State is expected to advise the TMB what it has done in response to the recommendations of the previous concluding observations and recommendations. The NHRI should include its assessment of this in its parallel report to the TMB. In this way, the treaty monitoring cycle ensures both regular monitoring of compliance and a re-commitment to full performance of treaty obligations. Chapter 11: Treaty monitoring bodies: Monitoring compliance | 77