A/HRC/14/32 LARA Project designed to support the reform of criminal legislation in South-Eastern Europe (2002–2003), nearly all the participating countries have adopted NPAs against trafficking in human beings covering prevention, prosecution of traffickers and protection of the victims. 44. Furthermore, regional bodies have a role in promoting the establishment of national multidisciplinary monitoring bodies, which are key to the success of NPAs. For example, OSCE, COMMIT and the EU encourage States to establish such structures, which they designate as National Rapporteurs or Task Forces. These would be governing bodies with implementation, coordination and oversight responsibility, consisting of representatives from the relevant ministries — including police, justice, social welfare, labour and women’s affairs — in charge of evaluating achievements and challenges in the country’s implementation of their commitments, managing data collection and information sharing, taking decisions with regard to the need to revise strategies and coordinating overall efforts at the national level. International organizations and NGOs should be involved in these mechanisms. The OSCE Special Representative’s 2008 Annual Report focused specifically on these national coordination mechanisms, outlining efforts taken by participating States to establish national coordinators and inter-agency coordinating bodies. 45. In the Mekong region, each of the six COMMIT countries has established a multidisciplinary COMMIT Task Force, in charge of carrying out systematic assessments of NPA implementation, for example through regional workshops to review and identify practices for improving national inter-agency cooperation information exchange. Furthermore, UNIAP, COMMIT’s secretariat, provides assistance on the development of national implementation plans for NPAs. Bilateral cooperation 46. Regional mechanisms have a key role in facilitating the development and strengthening of bilateral cooperation mechanisms between countries of the same region. In this regard, ASEAN has facilitated the conclusion of bilateral meetings to combat trafficking between countries, in particular between Thailand and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and between Cambodia and Viet Nam. COMMIT, when assisting countries in the development of bilateral mechanisms on human trafficking, particularly insists on the inclusion of effective implementation and monitoring mechanisms, and follows up with the organization of regional seminars to that effect. It also insists on the importance of integrating the agreement into governmental mandates and budgets. 47. Another possible approach is the development by regional organizations of bilateral relations with third countries or organizations. An interesting initiative in this regard is set out in the EU Action Oriented Paper on strengthening the EU external dimension on action against trafficking in human beings. It provides that where human trafficking is of particular mutual concern between the EU and key third countries or regions, the parties could set up specific Anti-Trafficking in Human Beings Partnerships or specific agreements. The partnerships should be based on an assessment of needs, inter alia from the perspective of a victim-centred and human rights-based approach, and opportunities for practical operational cooperation. This is an innovative type of bilateral agreement that would allow for a partnership between a regional organization and a country that is not a member, and also between subregional mechanisms, on a case-by-case basis depending on needs. 48. Similarly, the EU Action Oriented Paper provides that, in response to a new trend or pattern, for instance a noticeable increase in the number of victims of trafficking from a 10 GE.10-13211