A/HRC/15/56 I. Introduction 1. Following Human Rights Council resolution 12/15 on regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights, and in consultation with the co-sponsors of the resolution, Armenia, Belgium, Mexico, Senegal and Thailand, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) organized an international workshop on “Enhancing cooperation between international and regional human rights mechanisms”, which was held in Geneva, on 3 and 4 May 2010. 1 In compliance with resolution 12/15, the present report reflects the discussions held at the workshop and progress in the implementation of the resolution. 2. There has been increasing focus on the relationship between regional and international human rights mechanisms over the past two decades. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, highlighted the importance of intergovernmental systems to promote and protect human rights at the regional and subregional level. The World Conference endorsed the efforts to strengthen these arrangements and to increase their effectiveness, while at the same time stressing the importance of cooperation with the United Nations human rights activities. 3. The Commission on Human Rights also adopted a number of resolutions on the subject, starting with resolution 1993/51 which, inter alia, invited States in areas where regional arrangements in the field of human rights did not yet exist to consider reaching agreements, with a view to establishing suitable regional machinery for the promotion and protection of human rights within their respective regions, and requested the SecretaryGeneral to continue to strengthen exchanges between the United Nations and regional intergovernmental organizations dealing with human rights. 4. In September 2007 the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 6/20 calling on OHCHR to convene a workshop for “an exchange of good practices, added value and challenges” for regional human rights mechanisms. This workshop was held in November 2008. It highlighted the need for more coherent and regular cooperation amongst regional mechanisms and between regional and international mechanisms. The report of the Secretary-General (A/HRC/11/3) summarizes the discussions held during the workshop. The recommendations included the appointment of a high-level focal point within OHCHR to facilitate future networking and information sharing between the Human Rights Council, the regional and subregional human rights mechanisms, and OHCHR. 5. In response to the recommendations of the 2008 workshop, the High Commissioner created a focal point within OHCHR to facilitate office-wide engagement with regional human rights mechanisms. The mandate of the National Institutions Section was expanded to include regional human rights mechanisms, becoming the National Institutions and Regional Mechanisms Section (NIRMS). 6. In resolution 12/15 the Human Rights Council requested the High Commissioner to hold a workshop on regional arrangements on a regular basis and to convene one in the first semester of 2010 to “allow further sharing of information and concrete proposals on ways and means to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements in the field of human rights and the identification of strategies to overcome obstacles to the promotion and protection of human rights at the regional and international levels, with the participation of representatives of the relevant regional and subregional arrangements from 1 4 See annex IV for the workshop programme.