A/HRC/43/31 57. On 11 January 2017, in Brussels, following the twelfth African Union-European Union Human Rights Dialogue, the European Union signed a €1.8 million grant contract with the Pan-African Parliament, the last of a series of five contracts that the European Union is funding as part of a programme to strengthen the African human rights system. The main objective of the contract was to ensure that all States members of the African Union ratified, domesticated and implemented relevant African Union legal instruments in the field of good governance and human rights. Cooperation with regional economic communities, national and regional parliaments and the African Union Commission would be crucial to effectively achieve this objective by using the oversight and advisory and consultative functions of the Pan-African Parliament. The contract also covers cooperation with the European Parliament and the formulation of model laws in the field of good governance and human rights. VIII. Human Rights Council and technical assistance 58. The Human Rights Council is the main intergovernmental forum within the United Nations system concerned with issues relating to human rights. The Council, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/251, has a comprehensive mandate according to which it is responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction of any kind and in fair and equal manner. One of its aims is to prevent and combat human rights violations, including gross and systematic violations. It also works to promote and coordinate the mainstreaming of human rights within the United Nations system, and to ensure effective and real application of human rights standards. as guaranteed by different international instruments adopted under the auspices of the United Nations. 59. The Human Rights Council undertake its functions by addressing violations of human rights around the world, establishing international standards in the area of human rights and developing instruments. Lastly, it promotes human rights through dialogue and, in particular, by providing through its mechanism and trust funds technical assistance and capacitybuilding. In performing its functions, the Council receives substantive and technical support from OHCHR. 60. Technical assistance and capacity-building therefore constitute one of the most important aspects of the Human Rights Council mandate, used as a real means to improve country-specific human rights situations. Agenda item 10, entitled “Technical assistance and capacity-building”, is a permanent subject at all Council sessions. 61. In its resolution 39/18, the Human Rights Council emphasized that the general debate under agenda item 10 was an essential platform for Members and observers of the Council to share their visions and views to promote more effective technical cooperation and capacity-building in the field of human rights, and to share concrete experiences, challenges and information on assistance needed in the implementation of their human rights obligations and voluntary pledges and commitments, and of accepted universal periodic review recommendations, and their achievements and good practices in this area. 62. Also in resolution 39/19, the Human Rights Council reiterated that technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights continued to be based on consultations with and the consent of the States concerned, and should take into account their needs, and the fact that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and aim to make a concrete impact on the ground. 63. The States considered under agenda item 10 include Cambodia, the Central Africa Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Libya, Rwanda, Somalia and the Sudan. 64. The situation of human. rights in those countries are deemed worthy of the regular attention of the Human Rights Council; however, the cooperation of the beneficiary State is requested for the success of any action of assistance of the Council. 65. At its fortieth session, the Human Rights Council, in its resolution 40/27, requested OHCHR to provide technical assistance and capacity-building to Libya on its request, to promote and protect human rights and to prevent and ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses. It also requested OHCHR to work closely with the Government of 10