Properly structured and implemented, intergovernmental monitoring can be a force for change, providing both pressure and knowledge to ensure states live up to their obligations. Where government performance is inadequate, an effective monitoring mechanism draws on both state’s peers and the public at large to encourage, pressure and support the state into more effective action.

In addition, a review mechanism also serves to provide an authoritative interpretation of the convention provisions as they relate to the laws, institutions and practices in a given country.

The following are some of the requirements for an effective intergovernmental monitoring system:

• Serious commitment by governments
  A critical mass of governments must take the process seriously and exert their influence on peers lacking the same commitment.
• Adequate resources
  Effective monitoring systems require adequate resources for the secretariat that is servicing the reviews and for other costs associated with the reviews, such as on-site visits. Resources for existing monitoring systems are not always adequate or long-term, which affects the speed and quality of the reviews.
• Independent secretariat
  The structure of the review system and the way resources are provided to the secretariat should ensure that it is independent and can perform its essential supporting role for the monitoring process. This is not always the case.
• Appropriate expertise
  National experts with relevant knowledge and experience must be provided by national governments for the review teams. This is not always done.
• Civil society inputs and access to key documents,
  Given diplomatic constraints and political realities, it is important that civil society organisations be given and take advantage of the opportunity to feed their independent evaluations into the intergovernmental process and be given access to documents including government self-evaluations and final reports of the review body.