A/HRC/44/28 regional mechanisms and voluntary national reviews. In 2019, OHCHR rolled out the database in six pilot countries, namely Botswana, Mauritius, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone and the State of Palestine. Over 30 countries received briefings and requested access to or are considering using the database. The Group of Friends on national mechanisms for implementation, reporting and follow-up, comprising 28 States led by Portugal, offers an informal platform to share good practices and lessons learned, reporting and impact. 7. Enabling public participation, civic space and a safe environment for civil society “Society is stronger and more resilient when women and men can play a meaningful role in political, economic and social life, contributing to policymaking that affects their lives, including by accessing information, engaging in dialogue, expressing dissent and joining together to express their views. This includes the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion” (“The highest aspiration”, p. 8) Civil society and a safe and enabling environment in which it can freely operate are important for effective international cooperation. People’s free, active and meaningful participation and the involvement of communities in policies, plans, projects and decisions that affect them, including their ability to address real grievances, are key to sustainable development and conflict prevention. Leaving no one behind implies reaching underrepresented groups, notably in policymaking that affects them. Implementing the guidelines for States on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs will help to advance effective public participation at all levels. OHCHR supported civic space through its technical cooperation. The Office commented on laws and policies that expand or encroach on civic space and on States’ responses to protests, including in Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Sudan. In Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Lebanon, Liberia, Mauritania, Mexico, Timor-Leste and Uganda it strengthened the capacity of parliamentarians and civil society, including human rights defenders and journalists, to monitor and report on human rights violations and to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. Acts of intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with OHCHR were also addressed. 8. Voluntary funds and technical cooperation Programmes implemented by OHCHR through the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights benefit from the advice of the Board of Trustees. The Chair of the Board, which also serves as the Board of the Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance in the implementation of the universal periodic review, reports to the Human Rights Council. The Fund aims to provide financial support for technical cooperation to strengthen national and regional institutions and legal frameworks and infrastructure that will have a positive long-term impact on the implementation of human rights standards. In his most recent report (A/HRC/43/68), the Chair highlighted the profound impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights and noted that corruption has increasingly been included in training and capacity-building initiatives and policy dialogues. The Chair welcomed the partnership of OHCHR with the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and the efforts of OHCHR to disseminate its experience in addressing human rights challenges and to upgrade its outreach and communications mechanisms and methodologies, including its Internet tools. The voluntary fund for participation in the universal periodic review has provided support to over 110 developing and least developed States for their participation in the process since its establishment. In 2019, 26 States and 31 delegates received assistance to participate in the sessions of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review or the Council. Furthermore, one intergovernmental organization, OIF, contributed to the fund. The Voluntary Fund for Financial and Technical Assistance in the implementation of the universal periodic review supports States in implementing review recommendations, with the aim of making its follow-up support more proactive, systematic and resultsoriented. In 2019, the Fund supported 15 projects in 15 countries and contributed to a regional workshop in Panama, organized in partnership with the Development Coordination Office, the UNDP regional office and the Resident Coordinator. Some 70 representatives 12