A/HRC/12/46 page 3 I. INTRODUCTION 1. The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to resolution 6/30, in which the Council reaffirmed its commitment to effectively integrate the human rights of women, as well as a gender perspective, in its work and that of its mechanisms, in a systematic and transparent manner including in all phases of the universal periodic review, the Advisory Committee and the review of mandates. The extent to which the Council integrates a gender perspective into its work will have a significant impact beyond the Council itself, and potentially have a bearing on the lives of women and girls in every part of the world. 2. In resolution 6/30, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to report on the obstacles and challenges to the implementation of the resolution by the Council and to make concrete recommendations for action to address them. This marks a significant shift in focus with respect to previous requests from the Commission on Human Rights on the same theme which called, inter alia, for reporting on the “promotion and protection of human rights of women … into the United Nations system” (see A/HRC/4/104). However, 16 years after States at the World Conference on Human Rights, held in Vienna in 1993, called for the integration of the human rights of women into the United Nations system, the Human Rights Council called for a more critical analysis. Accordingly, this report focuses on identifying the obstacles and challenges as a starting point for possible future concrete recommendations for action to be made by the Council. 3. For the purpose of informing the content of the report a note verbale was sent to Member States, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on 27 June 2008 soliciting information and observations. Written contributions were received from 25 States1 and 6 NGOs.2 Suggestions from stakeholders, including issues raised during plenary discussions of the Human Rights Council in conjunction with panels on the human rights of women and how to fully integrate a gender perspective, respectively, have also informed the content of this report. 4. Section II of the report provides a brief summary of the underlying legislative authority for the Human Rights Council to fully integrate the human rights of women and a gender perspective throughout its work. It also highlights the global policy framework developed by the United Nations system through world conferences and global summits. Section III examines the challenges and obstacles to integrating the human rights of women and a gender perspective in the United Nations system, including the Human Rights Council. Finally, section IV contains conclusions and recommendations for action to address those obstacles and challenges. 1 Argentina, Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Iraq, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Republic of Moldova, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey. 2 Action Canada for Population and Development, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, Center for Reproductive Rights, Center for Women’s Global Leadership, Human Rights Watch and Mulabi (Argentina).