A/HRC/11/3 page 3 Introduction 1. In its resolution 6/20, the Human Rights Council requested the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to convene in 2008 a workshop “for an exchange of good practices, added value and challenges” for regional arrangements for the promotion and protection of human rights. The workshop would include the participation of “representatives of the relevant regional and subregional arrangements from different regions, experts as well as all interested United Nations Member States, observers, national human rights institutions and representatives of non-governmental organizations”. 2. In accordance with resolution 6/20, OHCHR duly convened the workshop over one and a half days on 24 and 25 November 2008. Planning of the workshop was undertaken in consultation with the co-sponsors of resolution 6/20, Belgium, Mexico, Armenia and Senegal. Representatives of both existing and emerging regional human rights mechanisms from all regions of the world were invited to participate, as were representatives of regional groupings of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and prominent civil society organizations from each region. The United Nations human rights system was represented by the Chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, representing United Nations treaty bodies, and the Chair of the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, representing the Human Rights Council special procedures mandate holders. The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights provided the opening address and closing remarks were made by the President of the Human Rights Council. The workshop was co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of Belgium and of Mexico. OHCHR acted as Rapporteur. 3. Participants responded positively to the workshop, which was the first time that regional and subregional mechanisms for human rights promotion and protection had been brought together under the auspices of the Human Rights Council. Twenty-eight representatives of regional and subregional mechanisms, NHRIs and non-governmental organizations (NGO) participated in the workshop, which was also attended by a number of permanent missions accredited to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The present report summarizes the information shared and observations made during the course of the workshop. It includes a series of conclusions based on the key points of the discussion, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between regional and international human rights mechanisms. I. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONS AND SIMILAR MECHANISMS, INCLUDING EMERGING MECHANISMS 4. Following the inaugural session, the first session of the workshop covered human rights commissions and similar mechanisms, including emerging mechanisms. Representatives of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) addressed the workshop. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (“the African Commission”) was unfortunately unable to attend the workshop due to a conflicting schedule of hearings. The absence of the African Commission has impacted on the extent to which its work could be considered during the workshop.