Fraukje Panis, one of  GMW’s LED lawyers, is a member of the Netherlands Committee of Jurists for Human Rights (NJCM / Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten), the Dutch section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). The committee critically monitors legislation and policy in the Netherlands, including foreign policy, and frequently releases commentaries on policy documents and draft legislation concerning human rights.

Every two years, the Dutch government has to provide the UN with an overview of the legislative and policy measures taken to comply with international human rights conventions. In January 2013, the Dutch government will submit a report supervising the adherence to the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). 

On behalf of 25 Dutch NGO’s, Fraukje together with two NCJM colleagues, is working on a shadow report commenting on the government’s report. The shadow report will provide an overall assessment of the current human rights situation in the Netherlands with regard to discrimination. Moreover, the report will make (strong) recommendations to the Dutch government for improvement.

Among the NGO’s are Defence for Children/ECPAT, the Dutch Council for Refugees, TIYE International, LOS Foundation and  International Federation of Health and Human Rights Organizations. Last week, Fraukje gave a lecture at the University of Leiden to clarify the shadow report.