A/HRC/38/26 understanding. The briefings, like the universal periodic review in general, allow Member States to share their best practices regarding national implementation and follow-up processes. 20. As stated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in his 2017 report on the work of the Organization (A/72/1, para. 98), the United Nations will provide better support to Member States in implementation, stronger collaboration with United Nations country teams and the establishment of national mechanisms for human rights reporting and follow-up to link the universal periodic review to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. 21. The Secretary-General elaborated on this vision in his report on strengthening United Nations action in the field of human rights through the promotion of international cooperation and the importance of non-selectivity, impartiality and objectivity (A/72/351), in which he explained that the increased focus on the follow-up and implementation of the recommendations from human rights mechanisms provided the United Nations system with an opportunity to engage with Member States. International cooperation, including through human rights mechanisms and their recommendations, provided an important basis for States to achieve greater results in both the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and human rights protection at the country level. Technical assistance in the field of human rights should be based on such recommendations and be provided in closer cooperation and partnership with Member States, regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and the wider United Nations system. 22. The emphasis on implementation was also one of the key outcomes of the annual high-level panel discussion on human rights mainstreaming, held on 26 February 2018, during the thirty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council, pursuant to its resolution 16/21, which had as its theme “The promotion and protection of human rights in the light of the universal periodic review mechanism: challenges and opportunities”. Participants in the panel discussion pointed out that the substantive issues raised in universal periodic reviews often mirrored the recommendations of other human rights mechanisms, forming a cross section of critical human rights gaps at the country level which, if addressed, would build more resilient societies and sustain development and peace. The panel identified the need for strong coordination of implementation efforts at the national level, through national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up. The role of national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations at the national and international levels was emphasized, as well as the importance of non-retaliation for any form of cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms. Discussions also focused on the complementarity between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the universal periodic review. The panel identified the review as a unique opportunity for States to ground national development programmes and policies in human rights, and to move forward the 2030 Agenda, supported by the United Nations system at the national level, under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and the international donor community. 23. The Voluntary Trust Fund for Participation in the Universal Periodic Review is instrumental in ensuring the presence of many delegation members. It allows those members to be present at and to contribute to an interactive dialogue that is universal, independent, impartial and non-politicized, the quality of which contributes to recommendations that are constructive, specific, action-oriented and implementable, taking into account national capacities. 6