A/HRC/27/39 written documentation, participating in general debates and under specific agenda items, organizing parallel events and interacting with the special procedures. A total of 31 institutions participated in Council sessions during the reporting period (see annex I). Out of these, 12 NHRIs participated in the sessions of the Human Rights Council through video statements. 84. In May 2013, at the twenty-third session of the Human Rights Council, a representative of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines participated in the panel discussion on the contribution of parliamentarians to the work of the Human Rights Council and the UPR. 85. In June, 2013, at the twenty-fourth session of the Human Rights Council, a representative of the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsperson for Gender Equality of Egypt participated in the annual full-day panel discussion on women’s rights. 1. Universal periodic review 86. The second cycle of the UPR has seen increased engagement by national human rights institutions (see annex II). As was agreed on by the Council, a summary of the written contributions submitted by A-status institutions now forms a separate section in the summary of information from stakeholders prepared by OHCHR, which is one of the three documents that form the basis of the review. This has allowed A-status institutions to share their independent views on the impact of the UPR on the promotion and protection of human rights, including good practices, challenges and emerging human rights issues. 87. A-status institutions are also increasingly making use of opportunities created for them by the Council to intervene immediately after the State under review at the adoption of the outcome of the review by the Council plenary, including through the representative of the International Coordinating Committee or through video statements. 88. In the light of the role that national human rights institutions can play at the national level in the follow-up to the review and in developing tools to monitor and assess progress in the implementation of recommendations, OHCHR has been actively supporting and encouraging their participation in the UPR process. 89. A few A-status institutions have contributed in writing or via video statements to the general debate under agenda item 6 of the Council, including by sharing midterm progress reports on the status of the implementation of recommendations, and of voluntary commitments and pledges made by States. 2. Special procedures 90. During the general debates at the sessions of the Human Rights Council, the International Coordinating Committee and individual national human rights institutions interacted with special procedures mechanisms and submitted written contributions on reports prepared by the latter. 91. OHCHR regularly provides special procedures mandate holders preparing for country missions with information on the work of national human rights institutions. Increasingly, mandate holders seek the assistance of such institutions in ensuring that their recommendations are implemented at the national level. B. Treaty bodies 92. OHCHR continued to support the participation of national human rights institutions in the sessions of the treaty bodies. The secretariats of the treaty bodies, the National 13