A/HRC/18/41 enhance provision of information on the thematic work of OHCHR and treaty body priorities (for example, future general comments and recommendations) through internal or external information tools were also discussed. 4. Special procedures working groups 22. Additional meetings and meeting time, extra resources for missions, participation by all or by at least two members of each working group in the annual meeting and the creation of further opportunities to exchange information about working group practices and procedures to ensure greater consistency were highlighted as common issues confronting the five special procedures working groups. B. Strengthening the effectiveness of the special procedures: a joint report on communications 23. Mandate holders recalled that that, at their sixteenth annual meeting in 2009, they decided to report on their communications jointly (A/HRC/12/47, paras. 24-26), which was endorsed at the seventeenth annual meeting (A/HRC15/44, paras. 26-27). Mandate holders discussed methodological issues, including ways to reflect statistical and other information, given that the first joint communications report was to be submitted to the Human Rights Council at its eighteenth session. 24. It was recalled that two thirds of all communications were issued jointly by two or more mandate holders, but communications had been reported on in more than 20 individual reports submitted as an addendum to main reports. The joint communications report, to be arranged chronologically, would increase consistency, transparency and efficiency, including by enabling communications and related State responses to be accessible in full. It would also reduce documentation costs and respond to the call by the Human Rights Council to make documents available in accessible electronic formats. Victim protection measures relating to reporting on communications would also be implemented across mandates in a more harmonized manner. C. Documentation issues 25. Participants were briefed by representatives of the United Nations Office at Geneva on issues relating to documentation and interpretation and translation services. Guidelines regarding interpretation services during missions with human rights mechanisms were shared. Participants were informed of the increasing workload of translators and interpreters that has not been matched by commensurate increases in human or financial resources of the United Nations. They were informed of contracting arrangements with local interpreters through the relevant UNDP office or by the United Nations Office. Participants raised the concern that more frequent use of local interpreters could harm the integrity and credibility of special procedures and place the victims, their families and interpreters at risk of reprisal. Some participants raised concerns about editing and enquired about the possibility of reviewing translations. Some asked whether resources for the translation of reports into languages other than those of the United Nations were available in order to raise awareness at the domestic level. The lack of translation of documents for the current annual meeting was noted with regret. 9

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