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Conference Service Resources in Support of the Treaty Body System

Conference Service Resources in Support of the Treaty Body System. Division of Conference Management, UNOG 02April 2012 Ms. Kira Kruglikova, Executive Officer kkruglikova@unog.ch. Meetings support Interpretation Summary Record Drafting Meeting Room Attendants Sound technicians Captioning.

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Conference Service Resources in Support of the Treaty Body System

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  1. Conference Service Resources in Support of the Treaty Body System Division of Conference Management, UNOG 02April 2012 Ms. Kira Kruglikova, Executive Officer kkruglikova@unog.ch

  2. Meetings support Interpretation Summary Record Drafting Meeting Room Attendants Sound technicians Captioning Documentation Editing Translation Terminology Referencing Formatting Printing Distribution Braille What are conference services? Provided in six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish)

  3. Division of Conference Management, UNOG Integrated global management (IGM) of conference servicing under the USG, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) Under the authority of UNOG Director-General Resources allocated in Section 2 of the budget

  4. Legislative Framework • The Committee on Conferences determines the legislative framework for provision of conference services. • Four goals: • Quality • Timeliness • Cost-effective • Quantity

  5. How do we do it? • Mix of modes • Permanent capacity • Freelance temporary staff • Contractual • Language-specific • Six languages means 30 potential combinations • Need right combination for each task

  6. Growing Workload - meetings

  7. Treaty Bodies Consume Resources

  8. Growing Workload - documentation 2011 – 62.3 million words processed (10% more than 2010; 33% more than 2006)

  9. Largest volume of documentation

  10. 2012-2013 budget • Section 2 Changes • $10 million resources returned for summary records • $10 million reduced – no reason specified • DCM Changes • $2.8 million additional for contractual translation • $1 million reduction in printing supplies • Net $1.38 million reduction for freelancers • $2.77 million allocated for extra week of CRPD • $5.74 million allocated for HRC decisions in 2011

  11. Some figures • Budget not allocated to specific clients • Treaty Body share of 2010-2011 expenditures very roughly $72 million • For example, one additional week of meetings for CESCR estimated to cost $523,000 • Four languages (E,F,R, and S) • 270 pages of documentation • Summary Records

  12. Another example • One additional week of meetings for CRPD estimated to cost $1,385,400 annually • Six languages interpretation - $105,300 • 920 pages of documentation - $669,200 • Summary Records (E, F, and S only) - $143,300 • Sign language - $222,900 • Braille - $223,900 • Captioning - $10,000

  13. Something has to change • Existing resources are already inadequate • Workload still growing • What can be done?

  14. Successes • CEDAW proactively reviewed its entire conference servicing mandate to focus on highest priorities • Summary records only in English • Replies to lists of issues fully mandated • UPR, after initial difficulties, successful disciplined body • 93% on time submission of reports • Reports kept within self-imposed word limits

  15. Summary records – background • Summary record is official record of meetings • Different from verbatim report • No legal status • Decision to change or relinquish a given entitlement is with intergovernmental body • Could change number of languages • Could request only certain meetings have SRs • Could have SRs drafted upon request from sound recordings

  16. Proposal in budget • Budget proposed changes • Continue creation of summary records in English or French • Geneva practice is half of meetings are done in English and half in French • Replace translation with access to secure, searchable digital recordings in all official languages • Printed version of records available upon request • Pilot project in UNOV

  17. Response • ACABQ recommended taking into account views of bodies entitled to summary records • Committee on Conferences deferred discussion to Fifth Committee • Concerns about lack of consultations with intergovernmental bodies, erosion of multilingualism, security of closed meetings, user friendliness of webcast/recording, etc.

  18. Fifth Committee • Fifth Committee declined to approve proposal on changing summary records globally • In its Pattern of Conferences resolution, stressed that proposals for changes require approval by Member States in their relevant intergovernmental bodies

  19. Priorities and Realities • Existing resources are inadequate to fulfil the conference servicing mandate for treaty bodies • Current service levels will erode further • Priorities – interpretation for meetings, translation of documents (core documents, initial and subsequent reports, replies to lists of issues, etc.), accessibility, meeting records • DCM ready to work with each body to identify possibilities for change

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