A/HRC/21/44 the International Advisor to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation; the Technical Cooperation Coordinator of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), the Ministry of Agriculture; the Division Manager of the Bank of Brazil Foundation; and the Chief Counsel for International Affairs and Trade Promotion of the Ministry of Agrarian Development. 21. At the Presidency of the Republic, the Independent Expert met with the Special Advisor to the Foreign Policy Unit of the Office of the President of Brazil and his team. She also met with the President of the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and her team. She attended the National Council on Food Security (CONSEA) where she made a brief presentation on her mandate and the objectives of her study visit. 22. At the Brazilian Congress, the Independent Expert met with the Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Senate and the Vice-Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Lower House and former President. She also met with another member of parliament who was twice Chair of the Committee. 23. In Rio de Janeiro, the Independent Expert met with the Executive Director of the South American Institute of Government in Health (ISAGS) and his team; and with the Director of the Centre for International Relations of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and his colleagues. 24. Consultation meetings were held with representatives of United Nations agencies in Brazil and with civil society organizations. A meeting was also held with the United Nations Resident Coordinator. 25. The Independent Expert thanks all of the above for their courtesies and the time shared with her. She is grateful to Carlos da Cunha Oliveira and his team, the focal point at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for the country study mission, Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva, and her team at the Permanent Mission, for their support and assistance. 26. The consultations and dialogues of the Independent Expert with officials of the Government of Brazil have been consolidated into the summary account below, the primary consideration being given to the relevance of such information to the policy and practice of international solidarity. A. Features of Brazilian international cooperation 27. The 1988 Federal Constitution of Brazil lays down a number of principles that govern Brazilian international relations, among which are national independence, the prevalence of human rights, self-determination, non-intervention, and cooperation among peoples for the progress of mankind. These principles are underpinned by the solidarity of Brazilian society, which is also enshrined in the Constitution, and together are applied in building a policy of international cooperation integrated into foreign policy goals. 28. These Constitutional principles that govern international relations have shaped the features of Brazilian cooperation in the spirit of solidarity, as Brazil seeks to contribute to the social and economic progress of other countries through the sharing of lessons learned, knowledge gained from successful experiences, and best practices. Brazil makes use of solutions created and developed domestically to support other countries facing similar difficulties in overcoming obstacles to their development. 29. Brazilian cooperation is based on requests received from other countries, with paramount consideration given to their specific needs, as well as in response to humanitarian appeals from international specialized agencies. There are no conditions imposed and it is not profit oriented. The cooperation is driven by solidarity and adheres to 6