Working party participant's role -en

The International Association of Refugee Law Judges (IARLJ) establishes Working Parties to examine international and comparative legal issues in refugee law in an effort to assist in the development of a coherent body of international refugee jurisprudence. Working Parties are small transnational groups of IARLJ members and associate members, typically, not more than ten participants to a Working Party, who are seeking to resolve issues in international and comparative refugee law. They are led and directed by a Rapporteur or the Alternate or Associate Rapporteur, when the Rapporteur is not available for any reason. Rapporteurs and Alternate or Associate Rapporteurs are appointed by the IARLJ to each Working Party.

Working Party participants are expected to make a contribution to the legal issues and concerns under examination by providing jurisprudence, copies of relevant statutes, and regulations from their own country. Working Party participants are also expected to provide their commentary and analysis on any material provide by their colleagues. Working Party participants may also be asked to complete questionnaires or provide summaries of the way their country's refugee law judges and decision-makers approach and deal with particular legal issues. Working Party participants may be called upon to participate in international videoconference or teleconference calls and comment on draft conference papers, reports or other materials that the Rapporteur of their Working Party may wish to present to the IARLJ Executive Council for consideration.

Working Parties are expected to submit conference papers, reports, and/or other materials to the IARLJ World Conferences. The Working Party Rapporteur, generally, is expected to coordinate the drafting of their Working Party's conference papers, reports and/or other materials on behalf of the Working Party participants. Rapporteurs are also expected to submit a report of the activities and progress of their Working Party toward fulfilling their mandate. Working Parties, typically, hold face-to-face meetings at IARLJ World Conferences. These meetings are organized and chaired by the Working Party Rapporteur, and in the absence of the Rapporteur, the Alternate or Associate Rapporteur.

Working Party Rapporteurs are expected to contact their Working Party participants no less than at least once per quarter or once every three months. The most frequent means of contact is by e-mail, telephone, and teleconference or videoconference.

The Association tries, where possible, to combine global or regional IARLJ events (for example, conferences, seminars, workshops, etc.) with an opportunity for some or all of the participants of one or more Working Parties to hold progress meetings face-to-face.