A/HRC/32/27 the establishment of standing inter-institutional reporting and follow-up structures. The importance for States with limited human and financial resources to invest in structures and frameworks that would permit an economy of scale was palpable. Besides resources constraints, the main problem that States faced was the turnover of officials and, consequently, the limited institutional memory available at any given time, coupled with a lack of ownership of the universal periodic review at the local level. The establishment of a standing structure at the national level, possibly with local ramification, was seen as an important contribution to addressing the problem. Participants also discussed the usefulness of databases that compiled thematically the recommendations made as a useful tool to assist States in keeping track of the recommendations made by human rights mechanisms. 23. OHCHR formalized a partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to strengthen the participation of parliamentarians in the work of the Human Rights Council, with a focus on the universal periodic review and the implementation of recommendations emerging from the review, and in recognition of the importance of such participation. In this context, the fourth regional seminar for parliamentarians was held in Manila in February 2015. In accordance with the format and objective of the previous seminars, parliamentarians from the region were brought together with a view to familiarizing them with the universal periodic review process and identifying areas for their intervention and involvement. IV. Conclusions 24. The Voluntary Fund for Participation in the Universal Periodic Review continued to facilitate the participation of developing countries, and in particular least developed countries, in the sessions of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review at which they are considered. Assistance has been provided to those States, at their request, to enable them to participate in the adoption of their outcome document by the Human Rights Council at its plenary sessions. In that regard, and in addition to the relevant correspondence, the secretariat is following up with delegations through a more proactive approach to ensure that all States entitled to assistance under the Voluntary Fund avail themselves of the opportunity. Some difficulties inherent to the implementation in November 2015 of the Umoja administrative system have been experienced. A period of adaptation and adjustment is therefore inevitable until the system is running smoothly. In the meantime, the secretariat will make every effort to ensure that the impact on delegations in need of support is as limited as possible. 25. Since the inception of the universal periodic review and the inherent challenge to ensure that participation is indeed universal, the needs and constraints of least developed countries have been considered. Ensuring the informed, regular and full participation of States with little resources and no representation in Geneva, in addition to all other States, requires regular outreach activities. Special attention has been paid to those States by means of targeted initiatives at either the bilateral level or through the organization of subregional seminars. On the eve of the third cycle, the secretariat is exploring the best options to continue to help States not only to participate in the reviews, but also for the universal periodic review to be understood as a full process, in particular at the national level. 7

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