A/HRC/10/46 page 7 18. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, in her first report to the General Assembly (A/63/288), laid down her vision and defined her priorities with respect to the implementation of her mandate. She identified human rights defenders working on economic, social and cultural rights as a category of defenders most exposed to attack and violations, “who need specific and enhanced protection, as well as targeted and deliberate efforts to make the environment in which they operate a safer, more enabling and more accepting one”. 19. Following his 2007 report (A/HRC/6/17), which focused on economic, social and cultural rights in the context of countering terrorism, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin, continued to monitor issues related to all human rights in the counter-terrorism context, including recent policy developments and capacity-building efforts in relation to economic, social and cultural rights. He also participated in an expert seminar on the impact of terrorism and counter-terrorism measures on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights organized on 5-7 November 2008 by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force’s Working Group on Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism. 20. The Special Rapporteur on independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, addressed the links between access to justice and economic, social and cultural rights in his annual report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/8/4). Referring to the historical disparity between economic, social and cultural rights and civil and political rights, he stressed the crucial importance of access to justice and remedies in relation to the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. III. ACTIVITIES OF THE OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 21. The High Commissioner’s Plan of Action and the Strategic Management Plan for 2008-2009 selected as a priority the strengthening of OHCHR thematic expertise in economic, social and cultural rights, notably at the country level. 22. In 2008, the Office continued to work for the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights through a wide range of activities at the country, regional and headquarters levels. Its work on economic, social and cultural rights was in particular guided by the following priorities identified in the 2005 Plan of Action and reiterated in the 2008-2009 Management Plan: greater country engagement to ensure that international human rights standards are implemented on the ground, enhanced leadership role for the High Commissioner, closer partnerships with civil society and United Nations agencies, and greater synergy with the United Nations human rights bodies. 23. The sections below illustrate some of the activities implemented by the Office in the field of economic, social and cultural rights through the lens of these priorities. These do not aim at offering an exhaustive overview of the Office’s work on economic, social and cultural rights, but rather at providing some examples of the approaches taken and some key interventions at country, regional and headquarters levels.