A/HRC/34/24 I. Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 30/25, requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to organize an intersessional panel discussion during the twenty-sixth session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review to share experiences and good practices in the establishment and strengthening of national human rights follow-up systems, including the role of international cooperation in this regard. The discussion took place on 9 November 2016. 2. The panel discussion — the first of its kind — aimed to: (a) highlight the main constituting elements of effective national follow-up systems and processes; (b) identify steps to be taken at the national level to put in place effective national follow-up systems and processes; (c) share experiences and practices of national follow-up systems and processes; and (d) identify how such national follow-up systems and processes could best guide States in seeking needed technical cooperation and discuss ways in which international cooperation, through the support provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the United Nations at large and on a bilateral basis, could be extended. 3. The panel discussion was chaired by the President of the Human Rights Council and moderated by the Chief of the Universal Periodic Review Branch of OHCHR. The panellists were the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Worship of Ecuador, Ledy Zúñiga; the Minister and Director-General for Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Paraguay, Juan Miguel Gonzalez Bibolini; the Head of Section in the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of Belgium, Véronique Joosten; the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office of Mauritius, Devendre Gopaul; and the President of the nongovernmental organization UPR Info, Miloon Kothari. 4. The panel discussion was opened by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. Following the round of contributions by the panellists, 24 States and 2 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) participated in the interactive discussion. 5. In its resolution 30/25, the Council also requested the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the panel discussion for submission to the Council at its thirty-fourth session. The present report was prepared pursuant to that request. 6. In the context of the panel discussion, OHCHR prepared an information leaflet on international cooperation and national human rights follow-up systems and processes, which is annexed to the present report. II. Opening statement 7. In her opening statement, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights thanked the Governments of Brazil and Paraguay, the main sponsors of Human Rights Council resolution 30/25, and commended the Council for placing the issue of international cooperation in support of national human rights follow-up systems and processes high on its agenda. 8. She highlighted the virtuous cycle of national assessment, reporting, recommendations for progress and their implementation, which she considered among the most precious assets that the Human Rights Council offered to the world. She noted that the wheels of a virtuous cycle for a driving momentum to best advance human rights in an achievable and sustainable manner turned all the better when oiled by open exchanges 2