A/HRC/10/46 page 3 Introduction 1. In its resolution 4/1, the Human Rights Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Council an annual report on the implementation of that resolution. The Human Rights Council referred to activities in a range of fields relevant to the promotion and protection of human rights, focusing particularly on the activities of United Nations treaty bodies; the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, with mandates focusing on one or more economic, social and cultural rights and also with other thematic mandates; and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Concerning OHCHR, the present report contains some illustrative examples of the activities undertaken in implementing the strategic vision set out in the High Commissioner’s Strategic Management Plan for the period 2008-2009 and further detailed in the corresponding Plan of Action. I. ACTIVITIES OF TREATY BODIES A. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 2. As at 1 December 2008, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had been ratified or acceded to by 159 States,1 an increase of 2 States parties during the reporting period. 3. During its two sessions held in 2008, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights examined the status of implementation of the Covenant in nine States parties, on the basis of reports submitted by them, as well as a document submitted by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) on the implementation of the Covenant in Kosovo since 1999. A constructive dialogue was held with a delegation from each of those States parties, as well as from UNMIK. The States parties examined were Angola, Benin, Bolivia, France, India, Kenya, Nicaragua, the Philippines and Sweden. 4. At its forty-first session, held from 3 to 21 November 2008, the Committee adopted reporting guidelines on treaty-specific documents to be submitted by States parties under articles 16 and 17 of the Covenant (E/C.12/2008/2). These guidelines replace the Committee’s revised reporting guidelines (E/C.12/1991/1) and take into account the harmonized guidelines on reporting under the international human rights treaties (HRI/GEN/2/Rev.5), as well as the Committee’s evolving practice in relation to the application of the Covenant, as reflected in its concluding observations, general comments and statements. 5. Also at its forty-first session, on 17 November 2008, the Committee held a half-day general discussion on “Non-discrimination and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights”, during which experts from specialized agencies, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and OHCHR provided input for the preparation of a general comment on article 2, paragraph 2, of the Covenant. 1 http://treaties.un.org.