A/HRC/15/17 Management address the Council periodically to inform and advise Member States on the current situation and any issues foreseen. IV. Secretariat support for the Human Rights Council 18. Since the establishment of the Council in 2006, its activities have continued to expand, becoming more dynamic and demanding in terms of the services required. In addition to the 10 weeks of meetings that the Council holds pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/251, the Council also holds the following activities on a regular basis: • Open-ended organizational meetings at the beginning of each Council year to consider the agenda and set the annual programme of work and other procedural issues • Organizational meetings before and, if necessary, at each Council session to discuss organizational and procedural issues particular to that session (convened by the President of the Council) • Informative consultations/meetings on prospective resolutions or decisions (organized by the President of the Council or convened by main sponsors) 19. Furthermore, there has been an exponential increase in the number of panels, interactive dialogues, seminars and round tables held by the Council, all requiring significant support from the Council secretariat in terms of both pre- and in-session coordination. This trend is expected to continue. 20. Another new area for the Council is the holding of ad hoc special sessions. Since its inception, the Council has held 13 special sessions. A developing trend is the establishment of fact-finding missions to be carried out as a result of decisions taken at the special sessions. Such missions require intensive secretariat support, which must be provided in addition to the normal support services. 21. The Council requires significantly more media services than did its predecessor body. It is attracting more interest of the press, particularly during high-level segments and the special sessions. To ensure a high degree of transparency and openness in the Council’s work, and to increase public awareness and understanding of its proceedings, Council sessions are broadcast live via the Internet. To ensure that up-to-the-minute information reaches delegations and other participants in Council sessions, OHCHR has introduced innovative outreach tools, such as an SMS alert service and a Twitter account, on which last-minute changes to the Council’s work programme can be communicated in real time. 22. The Council secretariat provides advice to the President and his/her Bureau on the complexity of the rules and practices that govern its work. It provides substantive support to both the Council and the universal periodic review process, and coordinates the activities at both OHCHR and the United Nations Office at Geneva necessary to ensure the smooth servicing of the Council and its subsidiary bodies. It ensures that the decisions or requests of the Council are followed up and appropriate action is taken. V. Conclusion 23. The Council requires significantly more support than its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights. The increase in the number of requests addressed to the secretariat, the quasi standing nature of the Council and the numerous and consecutive weeks of meetings, the complexity of the roles played by the secretariat and the diversity of the Council’s actions all require greater secretariat support. 6