A/HRC/13/22 106. The Special Rapporteur believes that granting interim or precautionary measures plays an important role in the physical protection of human rights defenders at risk. Universal and regional human rights mechanisms including the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights and the Human Rights Committee have repeatedly reiterated the obligatory nature of such interim measures.18 In this regard, the Special Rapporteur wishes to recall the international obligations of States parties to the above-mentioned regional organizations to comply with these interim measures. 107. The Special Rapporteur also wishes to reiterate that she accords priority to establishing and strengthening solid relationships with regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders. In accordance with this strategy, two meetings have been held with the participation of the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Human Rights Defenders Unit within the secretariat of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe and the focal point for human rights defenders and national human rights institutions within OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the European Commission. (h) National human rights institutions 108. National human rights institutions, especially those mandated to receive complaints and follow individual cases, can be powerful allies of human rights defenders and contribute significantly to their security and protection. National human rights mechanisms that prioritize the protection of human rights defenders in their agenda and establish a focal point in this respect have an important role to play in creating an enabling environment for human rights defenders and facilitating their activities without any undue interference from outside. C. Protection provided by peacekeeping missions 109. The Special Rapporteur commends the work of the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular the Protection Unit, which ran the programme for the protection of victims, witnesses and human rights defenders, funded by the European Union, until its closure in March 2009. The programme was then absorbed by United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo into the work of the Protection Unit. Since the inception of the programme in June 2007, the Protection Unit has assisted 487 victims, witnesses and defenders in 11 provinces. Other United Nations peacekeeping missions should draw upon this example, and the Special Rapporteur strongly encourages them to replicate this protection programme. 110. More generally on the situation of human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Special Rapporteur would like to refer to her country visit report submitted as addendum 2 to this report. 18 GE.10-10012 See European Court of Human Rights, Öcalan v. Turkey, indication of interim measures pursuant to Rule 39 of the Rules of the European Court of Human Rights, 30 November 1999; and Human Rights Committee, Piandiong and others v. the Philippines, communication No. 869/1999, 2000. 19