A/HRC/15/56 “National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)’s role in interacting with international and regional human rights mechanisms” Objective: National Human Rights Institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations will share their experience on their interaction with international and regional human rights mechanisms. Possible ways in which NHRIs and NGOs could contribute to further enhancing the cooperation between international and regional human rights mechanisms will also be discussed. 15:00 – 16:30 Chair: Senegal The experience of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in interacting with international and regional human rights mechanisms: lessons learned and proposals Panelists: Representative NHRI Morocco (Chair of the NHRI African Network); Representative NHRI Ireland (Chair of European Network); Representative NHRI Venezuela (Chair of the Americas Network); Representative NHRI Jordan (Chair of Asia Pacific Network); Ms. Hannah Forster (The African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies); Ms. Ariela Peralta (Center for Justice and International Law – CEJIL); and Mr. Jamil Dakwar (American Civil Liberties Union). 16:30 – 17:30 Discussion 17:30 – 18:00 Wrap-up of Day 1 including suggestions for Day 2 of the programme Panelists: Mr. Frans Viljoen (expert on the African human rights mechanisms); Ms. Catalina Botero (expert on the Inter-American human rights system – IACHR’s Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression); and Mr. Jeremy McBride (expert on the European human rights mechanisms) Day 2 (4 May 2010) “Enhancing cooperation between the international human rights system and existing regional human rights mechanisms: concrete proposals” Objective: Representatives of the existing regional human rights mechanisms and of the international human rights system will discuss channels and ways of enhancing cooperation, focusing on the specific areas of their various functions. This will allow the formulation of concrete proposals for institutionalized cooperation between them. Representatives from new and emerging human rights mechanisms, Governments, NHRIs and NGOs will actively participate in the discussions. 10:00 – 11:00 Chair: Armenia Information sharing between existing regional human rights mechanisms and the international human rights system Including among others, sharing of jurisprudence; best practices; lessons learned; rules of procedure; working methods; reporting procedures; databases; websites; exchanges of staff and possible regular meetings. 31