A/HRC/4/94 page 3 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The Secretary-General has submitted to the Commission on Human Rights an annual report on technical cooperation in the field of human rights, reflecting the discussions at the meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights. The Commission, in its last resolution on the subject, resolution 2004/81, requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide the necessary administrative assistance to the Board of Trustees, to arrange meetings of the Board and to ensure that its conclusions are reflected in the annual report to the Commission on technical cooperation in the field of human rights. The Secretary-General was requested to submit a further analytical report to the Commission at its sixty-second session on the progress and concrete achievements made, as well as obstacles encountered in the implementation of the programme of advisory services and technical cooperation in the field of human rights and on the operation and administration of the Voluntary Fund. Such an analytical report has been submitted (E/CN.4/2006/104). Subsequently, the Human Rights Council, in its decision 2/102, requested the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue with the fulfilment of their activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update the relevant reports and studies. The present report is submitted in this context as an update of document E/CN.4/2006/104, focusing on the work of the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund. II. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VOLUNTARY FUND 2. Members of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the Secretary-General to advise the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on streamlining and rationalizing the working methods and procedures of the Office’s technical cooperation programme. The Board has moved away from reviewing individual projects to advising the Office on policy orientation, global vision and strategy at a broader programme level. The evolution of the role played by the Board has been appreciated by the Office, which benefits greatly from the experience and wisdom of the Board, particularly during the recent time of reform within the United Nations and OHCHR. 3. The Board holds its meetings twice a year. The twenty-fifth session took place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from 7 to 10 November 2006. During this session, the Board of Trustees held a joint seminar on 9 and 10 November with members of treaty bodies, representatives of United Nations agencies and programmes and OHCHR heads of field presences on the recommendations of United Nations treaty bodies (see section VII below). The Board also participated in some of the OHCHR regional consultations with heads of field presence. 4. At the end of each session, the Board meets with Member States in order to brief them on its work and exchange views on issues of common interest and relevance to the technical cooperation programme. At the end of the twenty-fifth session in November 2006, owing to the holding of the joint seminar on recommendations of United Nations treaty bodies, the Board was not able to maintain its tradition of meeting Member States. It hopes that the present report will help keep Member States informed of the Board’s work.