A/HRC/34/34 seven principles underpinning such good practices, and makes a number of recommendations on ways to strengthen, replicate and disseminate them (A/HRC/31/55). 24. The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination continued its work on advocating for an international legally binding instrument to regulate private military and security companies, and issued an interim report on its ongoing global study of national laws and regulations relating to private military and security companies (A/HRC/33/43). 25. The Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions issued a joint report on the proper management of assemblies, containing a compilation of practical recommendations (A/HRC/31/66). H. Forums, consultations, workshops and other meetings 26. In 2016, mandate holders organized more than 40 forums, consultations, expert meetings and workshops in all regions in collaboration with and/or engaging Government, civil society and the private sector (see A/HRC/34/34/Add.1, chap. XV). 27. The Forum on Minority Issues held its ninth session from 24 to 25 November 2016 under the guidance of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. More than 500 participants from all regions discussed key issues of global concern regarding minorities in situations of humanitarian crises, and made specific recommendations to protect and promote their rights that will be presented to the Council at its thirty-fourth session (see A/HRC/34/68). 28. The fifth annual Forum on Business and Human Rights was held from 14 to 16 November 2016 under the guidance of the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises. The Forum brought together more than 2,000 participants from 140 States, representing the private sector, Governments and civil society. The programme, consisting of 67 thematic sessions, addressed a number of key business-related human rights challenges around the globe where greater State and business leadership and leverage need to be applied. The report of the Forum will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-fifth session. 29. From 8 to 10 June 2016, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief coorganized, with the support of a civil society organization, held a conference with the theme “Freedom of religion or belief and sexuality”. On 11 and 12 June 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers chaired an expert group meeting in Belgrade, organized with the support of two civil society organizations, examining the situation of lawyers and the legal profession in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. On 4 and 5 July 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders conducted an expert meeting in Florence, Italy, on environmental and land rights defenders to gather information for his report to the General Assembly (A/71/281). 30. On 6 and 7 September 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities convened a regional expert consultation in Addis Ababa, focusing on access to support services by persons with disabilities. On 9 and 10 November 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence held regional consultations on transitional justice in the Asia-Pacific region in Colombo, to gather information for his study on the ways and means to implement the issues pertaining to his mandate, to be presented to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-sixth session. 6