A/HRC/23/45 I. Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council appointed Virginia Dandan as the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, effective 1 August 2011. In its resolution 21/10, the Council took note with appreciation of her first report as the Independent Expert (A/HRC/21/44), welcomed her participation in the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and in the People’s Summit held during Rio+20, and encouraged her active engagement in the post-2015 process, stressing the role of international solidarity as a key element to achieve a sustainable and more inclusive development. The Council further welcomed the holding of the expert workshop on human rights and international solidarity in Geneva on 7 and 8 June 2012, and took note of the summary of the discussion contained in the addendum to the report (A/HRC/21/44/Add.1). 2. In the same resolution, the Council requested the Independent Expert to continue to identify areas to be addressed, the main concepts and norms that can form the basis of a framework, and good practices to inform the future development of law and policy with regard to human rights and international solidarity. It also requested her to hold consultations with States, relevant United Nations and other international organizations, agencies and programmes, as well as other stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels, in the discharge of her mandate. The Council further requested the Independent Expert to undertake country visits with the aim of seeking and exchanging views with Governments and identifying their best practices for the promotion of international solidarity. 3. The Human Rights Council reiterated its request to the Independent Expert to continue her work in the preparation of a draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity and in further developing guidelines, standards, norms and principles with a view to promoting and protecting this right by addressing, inter alia, existing and emerging obstacles to its realization. In this regard, the Council also requested the Independent Expert to conduct in-depth research and intensive consultations with a view to preparing and sharing with States and all other relevant stakeholders a preliminary text of the draft declaration on the right of peoples and individuals to international solidarity. 4. The Council also reiterated its request to the Independent Expert to take into account the outcomes of all major United Nations and other global summits and ministerial meetings in the economic, social and climate fields and to seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the discharge of her mandate; to participate in relevant international forums and major events with a view to promoting the importance of international solidarity in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda; and to report regularly to the General Assembly in accordance with its programme of work. 5. The present report reflects the activities undertaken by the Independent Expert during the period September 2012 to February 2013. It also presents an update on her programme of work for the final stage in the presentation of the draft declaration in 2014. II. Activities undertaken 6. Since her previous report (A/HRC/21/44), submitted to the Human Rights Council in September 2012, the Independent Expert has undertaken a number of activities to 3