A/HRC/18/41 Report on the eighteenth meeting of special rapporteurs/representatives, independent experts and chairs of working groups of the special procedures of the Human Rights Council (Geneva, 27 June-1 July 2011) Rapporteur: Michel Forst Summary The eighteenth annual meeting of special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council was held in Geneva from 27 June to 1 July 2011. Farida Shaheed was elected as Chair of the eighteenth annual meeting and of the Coordination Committee. Michel Forst was elected Rapporteur of the meeting and member of the Coordination Committee. Kamala Chandrakirana, Chair of the Working Group on the elimination of discrimination against women in law and in practice, Juan Mendez, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and Jeremy Sarkin, Chair of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, were endorsed as the other three members of the Committee selected by the Chair. Maalla M’jid, as former Chair will remain as an ex officio member during the coming year. Mandate holders exchanged views with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the President of the Human Rights Council and the facilitator of the Council review segment on special procedures, and with States. The meeting convened a joint meeting with the twelfth inter-committee meeting of human rights treaty bodies, and met with representatives of United Nations entities, field presences of the Office of the High Commissioner, representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions). Discussions focused on the independence of the special procedures, harmonization of working methods, the outcome of the Human Rights Council review and measures to enhance the engagement of mandate holders with various stakeholders in order to strengthen their effectiveness. The meeting stressed the importance of increasing regular and extra-budgetary resources for special procedures. Participants noted the appointment of 16 new mandate holders by the Council at its fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth sessions , welcomed new mandate holders participating in the annual meeting for the first time, and paid tribute to outgoing mandate holders. 2