A/HRC/34/34 I. Introduction 1. The present report contains an overview of the system of special procedures, highlighting activities undertaken by mandate holders in 2016. It also provides information on the work of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, and elaborates on the main points of discussions held and conclusions reached during the twenty-third annual meeting of special procedures. II. Facts and figures A. New mandates 2. In 2016, the Human Rights Council established two new mandates: those of Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (resolution 32/2) and of Special Rapporteur on the right to development (resolution 33/14). The total number of mandates now stands at 57, of which 43 are thematic and 14 country-specific (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. XI). B. Mandate holders 3. The system of special procedures currently includes 81 mandate holder positions. The Human Rights Council appointed 13 new mandate holders in 2016. The gender balance has improved slightly; 42 per cent of current mandate holders are female, and 58 per cent male. 4. As at 31 December 2016, 22.5 per cent of mandate holders came from States Members of the United Nations belonging to the African Group, 16 per cent from the AsiaPacific Group, 12.5 per cent from the Eastern European Group, 19 per cent from the Latin American and Caribbean Group and 30 per cent from the Western European and Others Group (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. II). C. Country visits 5. Mandate holders conducted 96 in situ visits to 65 States and territories, 20 more visits than in 2015, an increase of 26 per cent (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. IV). Two more Member States extended a standing invitation to special procedures, resulting in 117 Member States and one non-member Observer State having formally indicated that they would always accept requests for country visits (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. III). 6. As at 31 December 2016, the large majority of Member States, namely 167, had received at least one visit by a mandate holder. However, 26 Member States have not yet been visited by any mandate holder, of which nine have not yet received a request for a visit and 17 have either not yet accepted a visit or the visit has yet to take place (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. V).1 1 Information on the status of all country visits requested by mandate holders, and forthcoming visits, is available on the webpages http://spinternet.ohchr.org/_Layouts/SpecialProceduresInternet/ViewCountryVisits.aspx?Lang=en and http://spinternet.ohchr.org/_Layouts/SpecialProceduresInternet/Forthcomingcountryvisits.aspx. 3