Human Rights Council (Resumed 6th session, 10 ­ 14 December 2007) Suggested guidelines for NGO oral interventions

1. At the request of the President and taking into account the suggested guidelines previously applied at the fourth, fifth regular and first part of the sixth sessions of the Human Rights Council, the following guidelines for speaking time arrangements relating to NGOs are suggested for resumed sixth regular session of the Human Rights Council (10 ­ 14 December 2007). 2. The suggested guidelines should be applied on an interim basis; they are being suggested to assist NGOs in planning and managing their oral interventions during the sixth session of the Human Rights Council. 3. The guidelines are also being suggested to facilitate the participation of NGOs not represented in Switzerland. 4. Opening of the List of Speakers:

The List of Speakers will be opened on Monday 10 December, at 14.30 p.m. for inscriptions in all meeting scheduled from 10 until 14 December. NGOs are encouraged to arrive earlier and proceed to the List of Speakers desk inside the plenary room. 5. In order to facilitate then participation of NGOs not represented in Switzerland, pre-inscriptions by fax will be allowed for NGOs not based/represented in Switzerland, as soon as the List of Speakers will be opened in the plenary room (at 14.30 p.m. on Monday 10 December). The relevant inscription form can be downloaded at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/6session/speakers.htm and faxed to + 41 22 917 0339. 6. In order to accommodate a larger number of NGOs, NGOs are strongly encouraged, when inscribing, to indicate their priorities, which will assist the Secretariat when drawing the lists. Interactive Dialogues with Special Procedure mandate-holders: · · · NGOs' individual interventions/questions in interactive dialogues will be up to 3 minutes each. Interventions should consist of brief and to-the-point questions and/or comments related to the reports being considered. It being understood that a maximum of 3 minutes could be used for an individual NGO intervention, NGOs coordination is strongly encouraged to maximize the use of total time available to NGOs (which should be calculated on the basis of three to four interventions of three minutes each per dialogue).

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Modalities for Interactive Dialogues on assessments of mandates should be communicated by the President at the beginning of the session.

Debates: · · · NGOs' individual statements will be up to 3 minutes. NGOs's joint interventions with a large number of co-sponsors will be placed on top of the list; no additional time will be allocated. NGOs coordination is encouraged to maximize the use of total time available for debates.