A/HRC/11/10 page 4 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present report is submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 7/4 of 27 March 2008. 2. In his preliminary report to the General Assembly at its sixty-third session (A/63/289), the independent expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, Cephas Lumina, outlined his vision and plan of implementation for the mandate. The plan focuses on three broad, interrelated objectives: (a) To raise awareness about the need to consider foreign debt as a human rights issue and, in that regard, to broaden support for the mandate through ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders (including States that have traditionally not supported the mandate); (b) To undertake a thematic study on foreign debt and human rights in order to identify and clarify some conceptual issues arising from the mandate; (c) To identify best practices concerning foreign debt and human rights through the review and development of the draft general guidelines on foreign debt and human rights, which are designed to ensure that compliance with commitments arising from foreign debt does not undermine the capacity of States to fulfil their human rights obligations. 3. In keeping with resolution 7/4 and the plan of implementation, the present report sketches the activities undertaken by the independent expert since he assumed his mandate on 1 May 2008, proposes a preliminary conceptual framework for understanding the connection between foreign debt and human rights, and outlines the independent expert’s main areas of interest and focus for the period 2009-2010. II. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN 4. Since taking up his mandate on 1 May 2008, the independent expert has engaged in numerous activities. In June 2008, he held consultations with a wide variety of stakeholders, including Governments, intergovernmental organizations, international financial organizations, and NGOs. These meetings were very helpful in defining and forming some initial plans and priorities for his mandate. 5. In early September 2008, the independent expert participated in the Social Forum of the Human Rights Council, focusing particularly on the links between foreign debt and poverty. From 4 to 12 September 2008, he undertook a mission to Brussels, Paris and London, to meet with key actors in the area of foreign debt. In Brussels, he met with representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and various NGOs. In Paris, he met with representatives of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Paris Club, and numerous NGOs. In London, he met with officials of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and civil society representatives. In all three capitals, he had courtesy meetings with government officials. He is grateful to all those whom he met, and for the concerned Governments’ inputs to his mandate.