A/HRC/16/20 5. OHCHR continued to strengthen its partnership with other United Nations departments, programmes and specialized agencies, as well as regional organizations. This covered areas such as tackling racial discrimination, implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), HIV/AIDS, sexual violence in conflict, women’s rights, human rights of persons with disabilities including having joint workplans with some of these United Nations partners. The arrival of the Assistant Secretary-General in OHCHRNew York became one key element in strengthening these links. II. Thematic priorities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights A. Strengthening human rights mechanisms and the progressive development of international human rights law 1. (a) Strengthening human rights mechanisms Human Rights Council 6. I continued to share my thoughts with the Council and its member States on the key principles and objectives of the review and submitted a substantive written contribution to the working group with some of my recommendations permeating into the discussions. A key benchmark of the Council’s success is its ability to address chronic and urgent human rights situations and to make a difference on the ground. To this end, I have been encouraging the Council to be creative and take full advantage of various opportunities for discussion. 7. I am pleased to observe that the trend of resorting to alternative modalities for debates in the Council has continued, with the active support of my office. At its fifteenth session, the Council held its first-ever country-specific dialogue on Somalia with the participation of key stakeholders. The “urgent debate” feature was another initiative introduced to the Council’s toolbox of working methods at its fourteenth session, to consider the Israeli raid on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance. 8. Besides its annual discussions on women’s rights, the rights of the child and integrating a gender perspective into its work, the Council continued to hold panel discussions on a broad range of human rights issues, such as the adverse effects of the movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes on the enjoyment of human rights; the protection of journalists in armed conflict; maternal mortality and morbidity; and the elimination of discrimination against women in law and practice. Notably, the panel debate on trafficking in persons, especially women and girls, involved victims and survivors providing them a platform to share their views and perspective. (b) Universal periodic review 9. By the end of December 2010, 143 out of 192 member States have been reviewed, with all States under review participating, and their peers being fully engaged at the various stages of the process. The 100 per cent participation rate should be commended. It reflects the importance and seriousness with which States participate in the universal periodic review (UPR), as well as the continued efforts made by my Office to provide information on the modalities of the mechanism through regional briefings and regular information sessions for representatives of permanent missions and other stakeholders in Geneva and New York. 4