INTERNATIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE OF

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR THE PROMOTION

AND PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (ICC)

ICC BUREAU MEETING

21 AND 22 MARCH 2016, GENEVA

RECORD OF DECISIONS

Palais des Nations, room XXI, Geneva

Meeting chaired by Adv. Mabedle Lourence MUSHWANA, ICC Chair (South Africa)

ITEM 1 / WELCOME AND ADOPTION OF THE DRAFT AGENDA
Bureau members:
Adv. Mabedle Lourence Mushwana (ICC Chair); Dr Divine Banda (Africa Regional Chair, Cameroon); Mr Bambadorj Jamsran (APF Regional Chair, Mongolia); Ms Montserrat Solano Carboni (Costa Rica) representing Mr Roland Villena Villegas (Americas, Regional Chair)
Mr Mohammed Fayek (Egypt); accompanied by Mr Amr Wagdy (Egypt); Prof Ben Angwe (Nigeria);
Mr Jonas Christofferson (Denmark); accompanied by Ms Eva Grambye (Denmark); and Ms Kristine Yigen (Denmark); Mr Igli Totozoni (Albania); Mr Alan Mitchell (Scotland); accompanied by Mr Bruce Adamson (Scotland); Mr Michel Forst, (France), accompanied by Ms Magali Lafourcade (France)
Prof Gillian Triggs (Australia); accompanied by Ms Padma Raman (Australia); Dr Ali Al Marri (Qatar); accompanied by Mr Saad Al Abdullah (Qatar); Mr Lee Sung-Ho (Korea);accompanied by Mr Shim Sangdon (Korea) and Ms Sookhyun Oh (Korea);
Dr Tarek William Saab (Venezuela); Lic Luis Raoul Gonzalez Perez (on behalf of Nicaragua; Finance Committee Chair, Mexico accompanied by; Mr Hector Davalos Martinez (Mexico); and Ms Consuelo Olvera Trevenio (Mexico); Mr Eduardo Vega Luna (on behalf of Bolivia; Peru);
Participants:
Mr David Langtry (SCA Chair, Canada);
Mr Ramiro Rivadaneira (Chair, ICC WG on SDGs)
Ms Nabila Tbeur (Chair, ICC WG on Business and Human Rights, Morocco)
Mr Gilbert Sebihogo (NANHRI Secretariat); Mr Kieren Fitzpatrick (APF); Mr Greg Heesom (APF); Ms Thuy Doan-Smith (APF); Ms Debbie Kohner (ENNHRI Secretariat);
Ms Judith Cohen (ICC Liaison Officer, South Africa); Ms Vivian Nasaka John-Langba (ICC Assistant Liaison Officer South Africa); Ms Katharina Rose (ICC Geneva Representative); Ms Agnes Gracia (ICC Assistant Geneva Representative)
Mr Vladlen Stefanov (OHCHR NIRMS); Ms Ana Patricia Graca (UNDP); Antje Kraft (UNDP)
Apologies: Dr Omar Cabezas Lacayo (Nicaragua); Mr Rolando Villena Villegas for the meeting on 21 March 2016 (Americas, Regional Chair, Bolivia)
The ICC Bureau confirmed Togo, Mongolia, Mexico and Peru as casual ICC Bureau members in line with Article 44 of the ICC statute.
The ICC Bureau confirmed the participation of Prof Alan Miller as outgoing ICC Secretary and Regional Chair for Europe.
Observers: Canada; Morocco; India; Côte d'Ivoire; Togo; New Zealand; Russia; Malawi; Canada; Algeria; Honduras; Palestine; Jordan; Oman; Iraq; Thailand; Croatia; Germany, Finland; Georgia; Norway; Timor Leste; Myanmar; Mr Sebastien Desfayes (ICC lawyer); Mr Neil Gaught (ICC communications consultant).
The ICC Bureau adopted the draft agenda for the ICC Bureau meeting.
The ICC Bureau received the ICC Chair's opening address.
ADOPTION OF DRAFT RECORD OF DECISIONS OF ICC BUREAU MEETING
The Bureau adopted the draft record of decisions of the ICC Bureau meeting in October 2015 in Mérida, Mexico.
ITEM 2 / OHCHR – NRCS & UNDP HIGHLIGHTS: PERSPECTIVES AND PRIORITIES
The Bureau received perspectives and priorities from Mr Vladlen Stefanov, Chief, National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section, OHCHR. The ICC Bureau noted the new title of NIRMS: National Institutions, Regional Mechanisms and Civil Society Section (NRCS).
The Bureau received perspectives and priorities from Ms Ana Patricia Graca, Policy Advisor for Human Rights and Rule of Law in UNDP’s Bureau for Programme and Policy Support (BPPS).
The Bureau noted that the next UNDP-ICC-OHCHR Tripartite Partnership Meeting will take place in the week commencing 13 June 2016 in New York.
ITEM 3 / REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS: KEY IMPACTS, CHALLENGES AND NEXT STEPS
The Bureau received an update on regional highlights from
- Africa, Dr Divine Banda, Cameroon
- Americas, Montserrat Carboni Solano, Costa Rica (on behalf of Dr Rolando Villena Villegas, Bolivia)
- Asia-Pacific, Mr Bambadorj Jamsran, Mongolia
- Europe, Prof Alan Miller, Scotland (immediate past Chair)
The ICC Bureau received the confirmation that Prof Beate Rudolf of Germany is nominated by the European Region to serve as incoming Chairperson.
The Bureau received the confirmation that Ms Montserrat Carboni Solano of Costa Rica is nominated by the Americas region to serve as incoming ICC Secretary.
ITEM 4 / ICC STATUTE AMENDMENTS & ACCREDITATION - ICC STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3
The Bureau received an oral update from ICC Chairperson Adv. Mabedle Lourence Mushwana on follow-up to the accreditation roundtable held in March 2015 in conjunction with the 28th General Meeting and on proposed ICC statute amendments and amendments to the rules of procedure for the ICC SCA.
ICC statute amendments
The ICC Bureau considered the statute amendments and decided on recommendations to be made to the General Meeting.
Amendments to the rules of procedures
The ICC Bureau decided to defer consideration of the proposed rules of procedures, with the exception of the consequential amendments resulting from those ICC statute amendment proposals which the Bureau decided to recommend for adoption.
Amendments to the General Observations
The ICC Bureau decided to defer consideration of the proposed amendments to the General Observations.
The ICC Bureau received an oral update on the ICC SCA November 2015 report and on the SCA work in relation to the ICC strategic plan, from ICC SCA Chair David Langtry (Canada).
Practice Notes and Amendments to the General Observations
The ICC Bureau received and noted amendments to the practice notes on deferrals, special reviews and assessing the performance of NHRIs, and General Observations.
ITEM 5 / ICC FUNDING
The ICC Bureau received an oral update from Mr Michael Windfuhr (Germany) on ICC funding and endorsed the following recommendations:
1. The ICC 2016 budget is updated to reflect the EU-NHRI funds;
2. The ICC 2016 budget is further updated when UNDP funds are approved;
3. The ICC Chairperson will circulate job descriptions for the proposed two staff positions and GANHRI Special Representative to Regional Chairs (in consultation with Bureau members) for input and approval;
4. The ICC Chairperson in consultation with the Finance Sub-Committee make use of available savings for initial Geneva office set up costs should this be required;
5. The next OHCHR Grant in the amount of 25,000 USD will be used for accreditation related activities.
The ICC Bureau confirmed that the mandate of the incoming ICC Chairperson, incoming ICC Secretary, and Regional Coordinators as provided by the Bureau during the Merida meeting in relation to the use of the EU fund be continued.
ITEM 6 / UPDATE ON ICC GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
Finance Committee report
The ICC Bureau received the report from the ICC Finance Committee for the year 2015 with updated data for January to February 2016, from ICC Finance Committee Chairperson Luis Raul Gonzalez-Perez (Mexico):
i) The ICC Bureau noted the preliminary financial situation corresponding to 2015;
ii) The ICC Bureau received and accepted the 2015 Annual Financial Statements;
iii) The ICC Bureau requested regional coordinators to increase their engagement with NHRIs to encourage NHRIs to comply with the payment of membership fees or proceed to request a waiver or a reduction;
iv) The ICC Bureau decided to grant the waiver request for the 2014 and 2015 subscription fees for the Defensoria de los Habitantes de la Republica de Costa Rica;
v) The ICC Bureau noted the need to ensure the smooth transition of the ICC Chair including with regard to financial matters and decided to continue encouraging the payment of the membership fee by members in order to obtain the income expected in the budget for 2016;
vi) The ICC Bureau requested the ICC Chairperson and regional coordinators to disseminate again the ICC Guidelines for the Determination of Fee Waivers among all ICC members.
NHRI of Peru
The ICC Bureau decided to waive the 2012 and 2013 subscription fees for the Defensoría del Pueblo del Perú (Defender of the People of Peru).
The ICC Bureau further decided to waive the 2016 subscription fee for the Defensoría del Pueblo del Perú (Defender of the People of Peru).
The ICC Bureau requested the ICC Chair send a letter to the Ministry of Economy and Finances and the Congress of Peru sensitizing them about the need that the NHRI have adequate budget to fulfill its functions and international commitments.
NHRI of Ukraine
The ICC Bureau decided to grant to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights the reduction of the payment of 2016 fee, in order that it can pay 1000 Swiss francs.
The ICC Bureau acknowledged the efforts of the NHRI of Ukraine, despite its difficult situation, to continued paying the membership fee.
The ICC Bureau acknowledged the important contributions from the ICC Finance Committee Chair to the work of the Finance Committee.
The ICC Bureau noted there are no amendments to the Strategic Plan and Implementation Plan and that there are plans to develop a new Strategic Plan during the course of 2016.
ITEM 7 / STATUS OF THE ORGANISATION (ICC STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1&2)
The ICC Bureau received and confirmed the ICC Progress Report.
The ICC Bureau received an oral update from Ms Katharina Rose (ICC Geneva Representative) including on strategic engagement in Geneva and New York.
ITEM 8 / CHAIRPERSON’S TERM OF OFFICE
The ICC Bureau having noted that the current Chairperson Adv Mabedle Lourence Mushwana commenced his three year term of office on 8 May 2013, confirmed that for the purposes of the smooth running of the organization, that his term of office ends with this sitting.
ITEM 9 / ADOPTION OF DRAFT RECORD OF DECISISONS
The ICC Bureau adopted the draft record of decisions.

1