A/HRC/15/56 IV. Cooperation with national human rights institutions 47. Participants agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation between NHRIs and international and regional human rights mechanisms. A number of resolutions on cooperation between NHRIs and human rights mechanisms constitute a first step in the right direction. OAS resolutions AG/RES. 2421 (XXXVIII-O/08) and AG/RES. 2448 (XXXIXO/09) recognized the important contribution that NHRIs accredited by the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) can make to the work of the OAS in the promotion of human rights, and resolved to facilitate the participation of all NHRIs in the human rights activities of the organs, agencies, and entities of the organization. Likewise, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights states that States parties shall allow the establishment and improvement of NHRIs (article 26). General Assembly resolution 60/251 states that the Human Rights Council should work in close cooperation with both regional organizations and NHRIs.11 48. During the workshop it was proposed that some mechanisms be set up in order to systematize cooperation between NHRIs and international and regional human rights mechanisms. They should cooperate in areas such as raising awareness, technical cooperation, and human rights education. Seminars on human rights mechanisms, including information on their functions, methods of work, jurisprudence, and best practices, should be organized by NHRIs, with the participation of representatives of both international and regional human rights mechanisms, national authorities and NGOs, so as to make use of NHRI expertise on capacity-building and facilitating networking between relevant stakeholders. In addition, NHRIs could contribute to strengthening State engagement with both United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms. 49. Participants also agreed on the importance of establishing NHRIs where they do not exist, expanding their mandates when these do not cover all human rights issues, and ensuring their independence and that they have a broad range powers, in compliance with the Paris Principles relating to the status of NHRIs. They also encouraged the creation of regional secretariats where they are not yet established (Europe and the Americas), which could act as focal points to engage with international and regional human rights mechanisms. V. Cooperation with non-governmental organizations 50. NGOs are key actors in the process of cooperation between human rights mechanisms. They can contribute in many ways to strengthening the collaboration between regional and international human rights mechanisms. Areas of cooperation with NGOs identified during the international workshop included raising awareness and capacitybuilding activities, as well as information sharing on country visits, best practices, individual cases, urgent situations, and the promotion of ratification of international and regional human rights instruments. 51. The need to improve information sharing between human rights mechanisms and NGOs was highlighted. It was proposed to define long-term common strategies, including a mapping of the most important issues or topics in each region. In this connection, participants agreed that NGOs play an important role in identifying possible areas of cooperation between international and regional human rights mechanisms and in formulating ways to implement them. Their critical analysis has been vital to the development of human rights mechanisms, both international and regional. Thus, their views should be always taken into account when setting up mechanisms of cooperation. 11 16 Operative para. 5 (h).