A meeting between UPR Platform and the Chief as well as other representatives of the UPR Branch of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) took place on 4 April 2016, at Palais Wilson. Eighteen representatives from thirteen NGO Members of CCIG’s UPR Platform were present.

In response to the request of its Members, CCIG organized this meeting in order to allow NGOs to pose questions and concerns regarding the UPR process, in particular: the transition from the 2^nd to the 3^rd UPR cycle; and best practices on how to advocate and follow up on the implementation of UPR recommendations at the national level.

Similarly to a previous meeting held in 2012, introductory comments by OHCHR staff were followed by an interactive dialogue with the participants.

In particular, Ms. Shahrzad Tadjbakhsh, the Chief of the UPR Branch highlighted how the main challenge for the 3^rd UPR cycle will be to ensure and enhance the implementation of UPR recommendations at the national level.

Following the best practices experienced by many Members States, the institutionalization of a mechanism to follow up on UPR recommendations at the national level would constitute a key step ahead in the implementation process. While two could assume different institutional forms, it would be the basic requirements for this central coordinating body, that is to say its permanent nature and consultative capacities in order to engage with Civil Society.The CCIG hopes that this meeting provided the members of CCIG UPR Platform with key information to improve their contribution within the UPR as well as to share with the OHCHR difficulties encountered by NGOs while working with this specific mechanism.