A/HRC/45/60 II. Progress made by the Mechanism in 2019 and 2020 11. Since the Head of the Mechanism, Nicolas Koumjian, officially commenced his functions on 1 July 2019 and the Secretary-General deemed the Mechanism to be operational as at 30 August 2019, the Mechanism has been focused on ramping up its operations and activities on various fronts in order to be fully functional as soon as possible. These efforts include operational and administrative processes, engagement with relevant entities and stakeholders, and the implementation of the Mechanism’s substantive mandate, all of which are ongoing simultaneously. 12. While significant progress has been made, the global COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably disrupted the Mechanism’s original plans for 2020. In this regard, while there have been some disruptions, the Mechanism has largely continued its operations and has been able to accelerate progress in some areas as a result of needs related to remote working arrangements. Nonetheless, the Mechanism has had to adapt its activities and the manner in which it conducts its daily work in order to comply with various external and internal restrictions that have been imposed as a result of the pandemic. In this regard, the Mechanism also sought to ensure that there would be no compromises regarding the safety and security of: its information and operations, including that of its witnesses and relevant stakeholders; the information, documentation and evidence in the Mechanism’s possession; and the Mechanism’s personnel. A. Operational and administrative processes 13. As stated in the Mechanism’s previous report to the Council (A/HRC/42/66), one of the first objectives of the Head of the Mechanism was to put in place a broad strategy and concept of operations that would make the most efficient use of the available resources to make concrete progress on the mandate. The Head identified the priorities, strategies, and short- and long-term goals for the Mechanism, which have now been incorporated into the workplan for each of its various components. 14. The proposed programme plan and budget for 2021 reflects a number of changes to the Mechanism’s previous budgets, which were developed before any of the leadership or staff of the Mechanism had been recruited. It therefore represents the first opportunity for the Mechanism to propose an allocation of resources that corresponds to its strategy for mandate implementation. In this regard, the Mechanism carefully assessed and adjusted its programme in order to propose a more streamlined and leaner budget for 2021, while still ensuring that it would have the necessary resources to fully implement its mandate. 15. One of the areas in which the Mechanism foresees higher substantive returns despite significant savings in 2021 is in relation to the expenditure incurred for office premises. Following the Secretary-General’s determination in June 2019 that the seat of the Mechanism would be located in Geneva, the Mechanism commenced a study to identify the most suitable option for office space. This study took into account many factors including the estimated costs and other financial implications; security issues unique to the Mechanism; occupancy timelines; hosting capacity; and the Mechanism’s requirements and resource needs. Ultimately, the Mechanism determined that the most cost-effective and technically acceptable option would be to build a prefabricated office facility inside the premises of the United Nations Office at Geneva. 16. In designing the new office facility, the Mechanism took into consideration the recommendations of the Department of Safety and Security and decided that the office space would have its own dedicated video surveillance and access control systems. In addition, the design reflected the Mechanism’s requirements for the storage of physical evidence, the need to ensure the security and integrity of the information in its possession and the office’s proximity to the United Nations Office at Geneva as a service provider for the set-up and use of information technology and other infrastructure. 17. Construction for the Mechanism’s new premises began on 1 February 2020. On 20 March 2020, the Government of Switzerland ordered the closure of all construction sites in the Canton of Geneva owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, including all construction sites within the premises of the United Nations Office at Geneva. The construction of the 4