A/HRC/42/66 courts and tribunals, and of other comparable international accountability mechanisms. Many international courts and other international accountability mechanisms have faced the challenge of a lack of State cooperation in investigations of serious international crimes, and have adopted a number of complementary strategies to compensate. Where cooperation is not forthcoming, the Mechanism will adopt strategies proven effective in other contexts, and will adopt its own innovations that allow it to pursue and have access to the best evidence available. At the same time, the Mechanism would benefit greatly from the ongoing support of the Human Rights Council in encouraging Member States, including Myanmar and neighboring States, to cooperate fully with the Mechanism. 50. Throughout the course of its operations, the Mechanism will work to ensure that its interactions with victims and other witnesses do them no harm (namely, that any risk of retraumatizing victims or placing witnesses at risk of reprisal for cooperating with the Mechanism is minimized). The Mechanism will adopt appropriate procedures and methods of work to minimize the security risks of witnesses and interlocutors, and of their families, which may arise as a result of their interaction with the Mechanism. 51. Where witnesses or sources are deemed to be at risk during the course and as a result of such cooperation with the Mechanism, the Mechanism will seek to take all feasible steps within its means to protect their safety and security. Arrangements or agreements, as appropriate, with national Governments willing to cooperate in this regard will be desirable. Given that witness protection can often involve significant expense, the Mechanism will further seek the cooperation of competent national, regional and international authorities with well-developed witness protection programmes whenever possible. IV. Practical steps taken for the operationalization and full functioning of the Mechanism 52. Following the setting out of the terms of reference of the Mechanism, the United Nations Secretariat worked to put in place the arrangements, personnel and budget necessary for the operationalization and full functioning of the Mechanism. This included the establishment of an administrative start-up team to facilitate prompt recruitment and operationalization processes once the Head of the Mechanism was appointed. 53. In parallel, the Mechanism is also proceeding with the recruitment a variety of other staff positions in the Mechanism. In this regard, in line with the Mechanism’s mandate, and in order to establish the necessary infrastructure to receive information, documentation and evidence, priority has been given to recruiting personnel with the specific expertise to assist the Mechanism in (a) establishing a system for the receipt, treatment, safe storage and consolidation of information, documentation and evidence, particularly within a searchable electronic database; (b) developing protocols for the receipt, treatment and storage of information, documentation and evidence; and (c) drafting and putting in place the arrangements or agreements necessary for the receipt of information, documentation and evidence from identified providers. These capabilities are necessary in order for the Mechanism to optimally collect and preserve evidence, which it will subsequently analyse and use to prepare case files. 54. Since the Secretary-General’s determination in June 2019 that the seat of the Mechanism should be located in Geneva, the Mechanism has sought to identify potential permanent office space that is adequate for the number of staff members anticipated when all positions have been filled and which would fit the security needs of the Mechanism. Consultations in that regard are ongoing with both the host Government and the United Nations Office at Geneva. Once the options available have been identified, the Mechanism will compare the costs of each, including recurring costs such as security at the site, to identify the most cost- and operationally efficient option. In the interim, the United Nations Office at Geneva has provided temporary office space and identified facilities for the safe storage of evidence received by the Mechanism until more permanent facilities become available. 55. With regard to short-term storage needs, the Mechanism has also ensured the availability of a secure facility in the United Nations Office at Geneva to store physical 9