Shadow Reports Illuminate Human Rights Abuses

"Shadow reports." Sounds intriguing. Mysterious. And perhaps they once were. But more and more shadow reports are being filed with U.N. committees to report human rights violations states' reports have 'overlooked.' And U.N. committees are listening!

Shadow reports help committees formulate questions to signatory states about the implementation of U.N. conventions. Or such reports may prompt the committee to request additional follow-up reporting, as you will read below.

On Sunday, December 10, 2006, UUSC co-sponsored the symposium "Human Rights: Tools for Change in Massachusetts" to celebrate Human Rights Day by sharing the secrets of filing shadow reports to the United Nations and working with U.N. rapporteurs or specialists on implementation of the human rights covenants.

"In the Shadows of the War on Terror: Persistent Police Brutality and Abuse," a collaborative effort by over 140 U.S.-based nongovernmental organizations, was filed with the U.N.'s Human Rights Committee in July 2006 as part of the committee's quadrennial review of the status of human rights in signatory states to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The report documents human rights abuses in the United States relative to law enforcement, immigration, Hurricane Katrina, and juvenile justice.

Following the filing of "In the Shadows of the War on Terror," the U. N. Human Rights Committee has requested additional reporting by Fall 2007 from the United States about Hurricane Katrina activities, according to Tonya McClary, National Criminal Justice Director for the American Friends Service Committee and one the major speakers at Sunday's symposium.

"Report on Failure of Compliance with Article 20 Prohibiting Propaganda for War," another shadow report, was prepared for the U.N. Human Rights Committee by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and other NGOs. WILPF's Gillian Gilhool, an eloquent symposium speaker and workshop leader, traced the history of shadow reports back to 1993, noting the increase in their use since that time.

But beyond listening to inspiring and informative speakers, the audience of activists had opportunities to meet and work with McClary, Gilhool, and Professor Martha Davis of Northeastern School of Law to explore the options for reporting human rights abuses through shadow reports and dialogues with special rapporteurs.

There appear to be two secrets for success in this work: document everything and begin very early because creating such a report is a formidable task. The reports are very formal and require extensive attention to detail. Eyewitness testimony is very helpful in documentation. The reports are filed in person in Geneva. In Spring 2007, signatory states to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination will file reports. The committee will receive reports from states and most likely shadow reports from NGOs.

It was a highly suitable observance of Human Rights Day 2006: education, inspiration, and good old fashioned know-how to advance the practice of human rights.