A/HRC/33/40 To the Human Rights Council 103. The Human Rights Council should become the international arena where Governments compete to show how to implement human rights most effectively, how to strengthen the rule of law and how to achieve social justice. Competition in human rights performance is the best kind of competition. The Human Rights Council should become the preeminent forum where Governments elucidate best practices in goodfaith implementation of pledges, expansive interpretation of human rights treaties and inclusion of all stakeholders. The Human Rights Council must not be a politicized arena where States instrumentalize human rights as weapons to defeat their political adversaries, where human rights are undermined through “side shows”, the “flavour of the month”, or where international law is applied à la carte. XI. Postscript 104. The Independent Expert endorses Lawrence Summers’ recent comments in the Financial Times: “The promotion of global integration can become a bottom-up rather than a top-down project … This would mean a shift from international trade agreements to international harmonization agreements, where issues such as labour rights and environmental protection would take precedence over issues related to empowering foreign producers.”79 105. The credibility of the special procedures depends in part on the implementation of the recommendations of special rapporteurs and working groups, whose reports are only briefly discussed, filed away and forgotten. When the special procedures were established, it was surely not the intention of States to convene an assembly of Cassandras, whose findings and warnings would be systematically ignored. Our moral vertigo over gross violations of human rights should not result in paralysis, but generate robust action. A properly funded follow-up mechanism should be established to monitor and benchmark the extent to which special rapporteurs’ recommendations are considered. The mandate of a special rapporteur on follow-up should be established. The universal periodic review procedure and OHCHR advisory services could further assist in implementation. 106. By way of conclusion, the Independent Expert reiterates his expression of appreciation to the committed, hard-working and competent OHCHR staff, and requests the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly to ensure that considerably greater resources are allocated to OHCHR. 79 GE.16-11938 www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5e9f4a5e-ff09-11e5-99cb-83242733f755.html#axzz4C6q6RIgt. 23