A/HRC/23/18 women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Conversely, the Committee quoted the same ruling in its recommendations to Mexico.13 It was highlighted that the institutionalization of exchanges between United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms would permit regular cross-referencing. 54. Contradictory human rights standards were identified as a challenge to cooperation. Participants agreed that regional standards could not derogate international standards. States should comply with international obligations resulting from the international treaties that they have ratified and from customary international law. It was therefore deemed necessary to strengthen cooperation to avoid contradictory human rights norms. Participants highlighted the view that emergent human rights mechanisms should use the experience of established mechanisms when addressing possible contradictions. For example, it was suggested that developed mechanisms could assist newer ones in addressing religious and cultural issues from a human rights perspective. 55. Participants were also of the view that cooperation could be instrumental in dealing with financial restrictions currently faced by human rights mechanisms. Joint visits, reports and capacity-building activities could held to save resources. The road map between the special procedures of the United Nations and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (see paragraphs 11 and 12 above) was cited as a tool that had enabled mechanisms to cooperate in a more efficient way. 56. Partnerships between non-governmental organizations and United Nations and regional mechanisms were referred to as a good practice. For example, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and non-governmental organizations had produced a manual on how to bring cases on women’s rights to the African human rights system. Joint training was provided to human rights defenders at which key women’s rights cases considered by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional mechanisms were discussed. 2. Concrete proposals 57. Participants proposed the improvement of joint activities between United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms, by means of: • Mutual cross-reference to their jurisprudence and recommendations in order to ensure consistency and coherence with international human rights law • The identification of common priorities • The sharing information on planning, and the definition of a common agenda for joint activities, including timelines and responsibilities • Well-established United Nations and regional human rights mechanisms sharing their expertise with emergent regional human rights mechanisms in the framework of workshops and study visits • Replication in other regions of such good practices as the road map between United Nations special procedures and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights • Building and enhancing the capacity of national stakeholders, in particular judges, lawyers, national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations in the implementation of international human rights norms and standards 13 14 CEDAW/C/MEX/CO/7-8, paras. 18 (c) and 19 (f).