A/HRC/10/24 page 7 IV. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND SPECIAL PROCEDURES SYSTEM A. Update on recent developments: review of mandates, universal periodic review mechanism, selection of mandate-holders 13. The Secretary of the Council briefed participants on recent developments, including the first two sessions of the universal periodic review, interactive dialogues, the complaint procedure, thematic panels, special sessions and the Advisory Committee. He recalled the contribution of the special procedures to universal periodic review reports, panels and special sessions. 14. Expanding on the universal periodic review process, he stated that it had brought positive changes to the human rights machinery by making the consideration of country situations by the Council a regular and universal feature, avoiding the risks of selectivity among States. A total of 192 States would have to interact with the Council in the next four years. Conclusions and recommendations of special procedures had been taken up in many review deliberations. Some States under review had welcomed the work of the special procedures and committed to invite them, with a few pledging to issue a standing invitation. A positive development for the special procedures was that their recommendations constituted half of the review reports, thereby complementing the concluding observations and views of the treaty bodies. The methodology developed by OHCHR to assess each country also drew upon existing regional mechanisms, such as the African Peer Review Mechanism. 15. Participants discussed the question of time allocated to their interactive dialogue at Council and special sessions on thematic issues, including on the negative impact on the realization of the right to food, at the initiative of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, as well as panels, including on maternal mortality at the initiative of the Special Rapporteur on the right to health. B. Exchange of views with the former Council President 16. The former Council President and Permanent Representative of Romania, Ambassador Romulu Costea, focused his address on recent developments at the Council that had an impact on the special procedures system and on its relationship with the universal periodic review. He noted that the special procedures system was the backbone of the human rights machinery and underlined the need to preserve the independence and autonomy of mandate-holders in the fulfilment of their mandates. He referred to the President’s statement adopted by the Council at its eighth session regarding the terms of mandate-holders. He stated that, while the statement aimed to settle an issue raised by some Member States, it was also intended to preserve the independence of mandate-holders as a condition of the credibility of special procedures, and indeed, of the Council itself. In relation to the selection procedure, he referred to the substantial work undertaken by the Consultative Group and the Secretariat. He stated that one of the challenges for the special procedures remained the implementation of Council resolution 5/2 on the code of conduct and the role of mandate-holders and the Committee in that regard. 17. He stated that the universal periodic review covered various human rights mechanisms, including special procedures, and complemented them. The review and how special procedures could better contribute to it required further discussion. As to the review, rationalization and