1. What is a Parallel Report?

All States which ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) have to submit every 5 years a report, in which States must explain to what extent they have implemented the rights of the ICESCR.
Belgium ratified the ICESCR on 21 July 1983. In 1993 the Belgian Government submitted its first report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) –the body that monitors compliance with the ICESCR.In 1998 a Second Periodic Report followed.

With a third report foreseen for 2005, a number of civil society organisations started looking at the possibility of elaborating a “Parallel or Shadow Report”. Such a Parallel Report aims at presenting the CESCR with complementary information about what Belgium has done or not to implement the obligations under the ICESCR. By early 2004, the Coalition of Belgian Civil Society for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was launched and elaborated a working plan for the organisations which would contribute to the report.

2. The Coalition of Belgian Civil Society for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The Coalition is composed of both Flemish and Francophone organisations (e.g. human and workers rights organisations, development cooperation organisations, poverty reduction organisations) which have contributed to the report in their respective areas of expertise. The content of each chapter only commits the organisation that has authored the chapter.

The following organisations contributed to the report:
1. ACW, Christian Workers Movement
2. Attac Flanders
3. CADTM
4. CNCD-11.11.11
5. Entr’Aide et Fraternité
6. FIAN Belgium
7. KWIA
8. Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (Belgique francophone)
9. Médécins-sans-Frontières/Artsen zonder Grenzen Belgique
10. Proyecto Gato
11. Social Alert International
12. 11.11.11, Coalition of the Flemish North-South Movement

Besides the contributing organisations, the members of the COalition sought the express support of other civil society organisations. Important organisations lend us their support for the initiative of the Parallel Report, such as ACV-CSC, the Belgian Christian Trade Union, Broederlijk Delen, Liga voor Mensenrechten, Oxfam Solidarité/Solidariteit, Pax Christi Vlaanderen, Wereldsolidariteit/Solidarité Mondiale. They agree that the Belgian Government should comply better with its reporting obligations under international human rights instruments and should pay more attention to the recommendations of the Committee. They are not responsible for the contents of the present report.

The Coalition proactively prepared a comprehensive Joint Parallel Report in early 2005, which consisted of three parts. In the first part, the report analysed the commitment of the Belgian State to the progressive realisation of economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights at the national level. In the second part, the report assessed whether the Belgian State complied with its international obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), i.e. whether Belgium seeks to contribute to the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights in third countries through international assistance and co-operation. In the last part, the report urged Belgium to continue supporting the drafting of an Optional Protocol to the ICESCR. Click here to donwload the comprehensive Joint Parallel Report.

3. Interaction with the Belgian government

The comprehensive Joint Parallel Report was finalised in April 2005. It was communicated to the Belgian government with a view to stimulating the authorities to draft the Belgian Third Periodic Report taking into account the major concerns of civil society. To this end, the Coalition also sought to engage in a constructive dialogue with the authorities on two occasions. On 18 May 2005, the report was presented to the government and federal parliament in a colloquium, organised by the Coalition under the auspices of the Commission for Globalisation of the Belgian federal parliament. On 22 March 2006, the Belgian federal public service for foreign affairs organised a meeting with all relevant ministries and our Coalition to discuss the comments of the Coalition on the first draft of the official Third Periodic Report.

Overall, the “dialogue” with the authorities has been rather formal. The Belgian authorities have not been willing to substantially discuss the official or parallel reports. Nor did the government respond to the recommendations formulated in the Joint Parallel Report. With regards to the contents of the Third Periodic Report, the Coalition regrets both the absence of a human rights approach and the descriptive nature of the report which simply lists legislation and policies without any reference to implementation and practice.

4. Interaction with the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by its States parties. The CESCR is composed of 18 independent experts who are persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights convenes twice a year for sessions of three weeks' duration with a one-week pre-sessional working group, normally in May and November at the United Nations Office in Geneva.

The CESCR attaches great importance to cooperation with all non-governmental organizations (NGOs) active in the field of economic, social and cultural rights - local, national and international. The Committee constantly encourages their participation in its activities. For more information on the CESCR and its working methods, please follow the link.
The first important step for the Coalition of Belgian Civil Society for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was to present its report to the Pre-Sessional working group of the CESCR. In November 2006, a delegation of our Coalition discussed the comprehensive Joint Parallel Report with the Pre-Sessional Working Group of the Committee.
The members of the Pre-Sessional Working Group of the CESCR welcomed the efforts made by the Coalition of Belgian Civil Society for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. After this session, the Working Group drafted the List of Issues, a list which contains a number of issues on which the CESCR would like to receivve more information ffrom the authorities. This time, the List of Issues addressed at the Belgian government included five critical points which were brought up in the Coalition's comprehensive Joint Parallel Report. This can certainly be called a success. Click here to donwload the List of Issues of Belgium.

In preparation for the plenary session of the Committee scheduled for November 2007, the Coalition prepared the final Joint Parallel Report. This final Joint Parallel Report is in fact a summary and updated version of the comprehensive one, and draws the Committee's attention to some of the most critical issues. It follows the same structure. At the end of each chapter, suggestions are made for recommendations which the Committee may include in its Concluding Observations. 

The CESCR welcomed the final Joint Parallel Report, which was issued as an official UN-document. Click here to donwload the  Final Joint Parallel Report. It is also available on the website of the CESCR in the different working languages of the CESCR.