NARRATIVE REPORT 2009 - The ICHRP

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International Council on Human Rights Policy - Narrative Report 2009 CONTENTS The International Council on Human Rights Policy 1 The Research Programme A. Projects published or in follow-up at the start of 2010 3 Corruption and human rights I (131A) Sexuality and human rights I (137) Plural legal orders (135) B. Projects in draft or production at the start of 2010 8 New Macro-economic policy and human rights: Colloquium and report Human smuggling, migration and human rights (122) New e-forum: accountability of human rights organisations (119) Corruption and human rights II (131B) Social control and human rights (126) C. Projects in research at the start of 2010 16 Sexuality and human rights II (134) Climate change and human rights II (138) Privacy and technology (132) D. External publications 24 Climate change and human rights III (CUP publication) (302) E. Projects listed for development in 2010 25 F. Projects closed in 2009 25 Other r activities of the Council 26 Institutional issues 27 Finance 30 Appendices 34-48 I. The International Council’s Mission Statement II. Members of the International Council III. Members of the International Council’s Executive Board IV. Staff of the Secretariat V. Financial Statement and Auditor’s Report
International Council on Human Rights Policy - Narrative Report 2009 REPORT ON THE YEAR During 2009 the Council’s Executive Board and Secretariat took steps to review the work of the International Council, assisted by an independent impact evaluation (which DFID and the Finnish Foreign Ministry commissioned) that became available in December 2009. When combined with the Council’s current strong research and publications programme, the Review will ensure that ICHRP is in an excellent position to develop and promote its work from 2010, under the leadership of a new Executive Director, Mr Maina Kiai, who was appointed at the beginning of March 2010. The Board Review has examined the Council’s governance, mandate and research methodology as well as the organisation’s communications and dissemination strategy, and will also consider the role and contribution of Members of the International Council. Board members have already concluded that, while adjustments must be made to the Council’s methods of work, the organisation’s mission and overall role are appropriate and do not require fundamental alteration: ICHRP will continue to assist human rights organisations to carry out their work by providing timely and relevant policy analysis. However, its approach should be sharpened, the annual Council Meeting should be refreshed, Council members should be given more active and more innovative roles, and the Council should disseminate and communicate its research more effectively and imaginatively, using shorter and more accessible forms of document. These conclusions were matched in important respects by the findings of the DFID/Finland evaluation. The Board Review will continue into 2010: final decisions and conclusions, which will take account of the DFID/Finland evaluation, will become available in mid-year, when the Council will produce a strategic plan covering the period 2011-2013. During the year the Board and Secretariat took a number of additional steps to prepare for the future. First of all, in 2009 the Secretariat stabilised ICHRP’s finances, after a very difficult year in 2008 when the organisation made a loss of CHF500,000 (including almost all its reserves), obliging it to make two members of staff redundant, cut elements from the 2009 research programme, reduce office space, and cancel the 2009 Council meeting. During 2009, having restructured management of the Council’s finances following the death of the Finance Officer in post in 2008, expenditure was brought back under control and at the end of the year income and expenditure were again broadly in balance. The Secretariat succeeded in reducing expenditure sharply (by CHF400’000) without deeply harming the Council’s research activity. (Indeed, the volume of research fees doubled.) Though income did not rise, which remains a matter of concern, and the Council’s financial and cash position will remain fragile while it lacks a reserve, it reversed the very critical situation that existed at the end of 2008 and restored the traditional quality of the Council’s reporting and monitoring procedures. The Council is now in a position from which it can start to rebuild the organisation’s finances. Secondly, at the end of 2009, following the resignation of Robert Archer, the Board took steps to appoint an Executive Director to take the organisation forward into a new phase. As the Council’s first Director, Robert Archer put in place the methodology that has established the Council’s reputation for innovative, sound and consultative research. With the appointment of Maina Kiai in March 2010, there is now an opportunity to build on this foundation, by increasing the organisation’s public profile and the effectiveness of its communication strategies. In that context, the Board has considered how the Council can reframe the research programme to achieve maximum relevance and value. As noted above, it is exploring the development of a three or five year plan of work that will cluster the Council’s research around a small number of critical policy
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