A/HRC/4/43 page 9 B. Follow-up 34. When discussing “follow-up”, the need for streamlined procedures for sending communications was raised by several mandate-holders. The need for a closer cooperation with United Nations country teams was pointed out as a crucial element to ensure follow-up and implementation of recommendations, as well as the need to ensure that prior to country visits key players and interlocutors are identified. One country rapporteur reported that the United Nations country team had organized a follow-up workshop on her report during which key national players discussed the recommendations and developed a plan of action based on them. The need of a system whereby mandate-holders are informed by United Nations agencies of activities to implement their recommendations was flagged. 35. Other possible ways to enhance the effectiveness of special procedures by promoting follow-up to their recommendations and actions were mentioned. Among them, there was a proposal to rethink the period during which communications remain confidential, especially given the changing periodicity of the Council. Making the communications known soon after the deadline for responding has expired would allow national actors to follow up on them when they are still relevant. The need to draft communications in a more effective way was also raised. Participants also stressed the need to ensure that the recommendations contained in their reports be specific, targeted and prioritized. 36. Participants congratulated the five mandate-holders who had worked on the report on the Guantánamo detention centre (E/CN.4/2006/120): the Chairman-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Leila Zerrougui; the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy; the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak; the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir; and the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt. Participants noted with satisfaction that the report had prompted a series of reactions that led to encouraging indications about the possible closure of the detention centre. The group called upon the relevant mandate-holders to continue to contribute in every constructive way possible for the resolution of the issue. V. CONSULTATIONS WITH NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 37. Under this agenda item participants had an open discussion with representatives of the civil society on the role of the special procedures in the context of the Human Rights Council. 38. In their statements several NGOs stressed that the reform process and the review of mandates represented great opportunities to strengthen the special procedures system, but also great risks. All NGOs expressed their strong support to the special procedures system and to mandate-holders. They emphasized the need to work together to ensure that the review process to be undertaken by the Human Rights Council would result in a strengthened role of thematic and geographic mandates.