Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau does not yet have a formal National Mechanism for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF) to liaise with UN human rights mechanisms. However, there is political will to establish such a structure in the future. In the absence of a standing national mechanism, the government uses an ad hoc system coordinated primarily by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Family, Women, and Social Solidarity to draft reports on major human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against torture, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

INSTITUTIONAL SETUP

There is no standing structure. Ad hoc commissions are created via ministerial or prime ministerial decrees for each report. Focal points are appointed through official memos, and a technical team is selected to draft reports, with training and financial support provided by the United Nations. Tasks are divided thematically or by article, data is collected from relevant institutions, and draft reports undergo public consultation with civil society, followed by technical validation with government bodies and other branches of state.

Secretariat While there is no permanent secretariat, no system for preserving institutional memory, and no formal Standing Operating procedures for information management, internal terms of reference guide report preparation. Training is provided to new members through retreats and technical support to ensure adequate capacity, even in rural areas.

MANDATE

The mandate of the ad hoc structure includes the engagement with all the international and regional mechanisms.

The ad hoc structures engage with all UN and regional human rights mechanisms.

Process followed by the Government/NMIRF to prepare state reports

• Ad hoc commissions are created through decrees (Despatches) for different reports. These commissions are given a mandate for report drafting. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Family, Women and Social Solidarity issue memos appointing a focal point for the task.

• Upon confirmation, the focal points receive training for the report preparation. Among them, a technical team is selected and assigned production tasks, with financial support from the United Nations system.

• The restricted group establishes a work calendar and divides the tasks either by themes or by articles. Through scheduled meetings, they compile the data and insert it into the draft report. Other individuals who participate in the training are responsible for gathering information from their respective entities to support the working group as needed.

• Once the draft is completed, it is presented, and a hearing is scheduled with civil society for feedback and to include any relevant contributions.

• A technical validation hearing is held with governmental bodies and the other three branches of sovereignty.

COORDINATION

Linkages with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals

The reporting process integrates elements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with Voluntary National Review considerations incorporated into reporting.

Channel of communication with the National Statistics Office, Parliament and the Judiciary

Guinea-Bissau maintains communication channels with the National Institute of Statistics, Parliament, and the judiciary, which contribute data and participate in report validation.

CONSULTATION

Consultations with civil society and other non-governmental stakeholders are held to ensure broad input.

Action and implementation plans exist in the human rights sector, although there is limited information on subnational participation.