A/HRC/28/30 6. Mechanisms for early warning of human rights violations are already in place. They included the special procedures, who every year conduct some 80 country visits and send about 500 communications on both urgent and chronic human rights situations and cases; and the systematic scrutiny of treaty bodies; and the universal periodic review. The Human Rights Council also had a mandate to contribute, through dialogue and cooperation, to the prevention of human rights violations. In addition, non-governmental organizations also played an indispensable role in early warning, for example by collecting and processing data and suggesting options for action. 7. The Deputy High Commissioner recalled that the Secretary-General had given top priority to prevention in his five-year action agenda for 2012-2017. His ground-breaking Human Rights Up Front plan of action was founded on a commitment to the more deliberate, thoughtful and coordinated use of the full range of United Nations resources, mandates and skills in order to strengthen the ability of the United Nations system to prevent and respond to serious human rights violations and complex crises effectively. The plan of action recognized that patterns in human rights violations provide clear warning signs of a looming crisis, and reflects a strong commitment to pool and analyse all available information from actors within the United Nations, activating high-level engagement and leadership at Headquarters. The aim of the Human Rights Up Front plan of action was to become more effective at ensuring that the information gathered by human rights mechanisms were brought to the attention of the relevant actors, and that their recommendations were followed up on and implemented. This effort had to engage not only the States in question and the entities of the United Nations family but also regional actors and the wider international community. 8. The post-2015 process provided an opportunity to ensure policy coherence in terms of governance and justice and to encourage the realization of human rights related to personal security, public participation and access to effective justice systems. A number of the sustainable development goals under discussion had great potential for preventing human rights violations. 9. The Deputy High Commissioner recalled that preventing human rights violations was at the core of the mandate and activities of OHCHR. The measures at its disposal included public advocacy, education and awareness-raising campaigns, quiet diplomacy and good offices, and also the very practical, hands-on work of capacity-development and technical assistance, which OHCHR undertook through its field presences. OHCHR provided States with advice on the design and implementation of laws, policies, thematic strategies and plans of action, and had developed a variety of specific practical tools, including training materials, guidance notes and comprehensive databases. 10. Ultimately, however, States themselves were primarily responsible for preventing human rights violations. OHCHR knew what worked: effective and broadly accessible justice systems, backed by effective, human rights-compliant laws and institutions. The Deputy High Commissioner highlighted the vital role that national human rights institutions could play in prevention. Currently, it was mainly in the area of torture prevention that such institutions exercised a specific preventive mandate, being designated as national preventive mechanisms under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, although this could very usefully be extended to other areas. 11. Lastly, the Deputy High Commissioner welcomed the fact that regional organizations were strengthening the preventive dimension of their human rights activities, and recalled that robust national protection systems with a strong emphasis on preventive measures could usefully be complemented by regional and international mechanisms. 4