A/HRC/18/19 8. Positive developments have also been registered in the context of treaty bodies. Some instruments contain specific articles asking States parties to take all appropriate measures to ensure that individuals under their jurisdiction are not subjected to ill-treatment or intimidation as a consequence of communicating with the monitoring body of the said instrument.4 9. Some treaty bodies, including the Human Rights Committee and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, have made statements during dialogues with State parties urging them to ensure that individuals and non-governmental organizations providing information are not subjected to reprisals. This issue is also discussed in the context of the treaty body strengthening process.5 II. Information received on cases of reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights A. Methodological framework 10. In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 12/2, the present report contains information regarding acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who: • Seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, or who have provided testimony or information to them • Avail or have availed themselves of procedures established under the auspices of the United Nations for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose • Submit or have submitted communications under procedures established by human rights instruments, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose • Are relatives of victims of human rights violations or of those who have provided legal or other assistance to victims 11. The report contains information gathered during the period under review, from 20 March 2010 to 15 June 2011. In cases in which the victims of reprisals, whether individuals or organizations, have been in contact with one of the bodies or mechanisms of the Human Rights Council or treaty bodies, follow-up action was taken by the relevant mandate holders or bodies. In this context, urgent appeals or allegation letters were addressed to the States concerned. Summaries of these communications and the related replies received from States have been included in the present report. 4 See the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, article 11, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 13 and the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, article 15. 5 See the Seoul statement on strengthening the United Nations human rights treaty body system, available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/HRTD/hrtd_process.htm#seoul, and the Dublin statement on the process of strengthening the United Nations human rights treaty body system, available from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/HRTD/docs/DublinStatement.pdf. 4