A/HRC/4/103 page 4 consolidation of existing guidelines and the harmonization of the procedures followed in forensic investigation, as recommended by the Commission. The Manual contains in addition to its forensic protocols a model protocol for the legal investigation of extralegal, arbitrary and summary executions (Minnesota Protocol). 11. OHCHR participated actively in the consultative process culminating in the international conference entitled “The Missing - Action to resolve the problem of people unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict or internal violence and to assist their families”, organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from 19 to 21 February 2003. The conference brought together governmental and non-governmental experts and highlighted the need to develop a standardized autopsy form based on the Minnesota Protocol and the Interpol Disaster Victim Information autopsy form. It proposed combining the respective advantages of these protocols. The conference also led to the publication of Operational Best Practices Regarding the Management of Human Remains and Information on the Dead by Non-Specialists.2 IV. SPECIAL PROCEDURES AND FORENSIC SCIENCE 12. Special procedures established by the Commission on Human Rights have continued to rely on forensic specialists in the course of their work, particularly under the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Special Rapporteur has stated that it is fundamental that he be assisted on fact-finding visits by independent medical doctors with specialized knowledge and experience in documenting torture, in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol (see E/CN.4/2006/6, para. 23). The findings contained in the forensic reports of these experts assist the Special Rapporteur to draw his conclusions on the practice of torture, and he has used such experts on missions, for example to Mongolia, Nepal, Jordan and Paraguay. 13. As part of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions sends communications to Governments in cases where there are reasons to believe that extrajudicial executions have taken place. He reminds Governments, inter alia, of their obligations, reflected in the Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra-legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions, to conduct exhaustive and impartial investigations into all suspected cases of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Several of his reports highlighted gaps in the investigative and forensic capacity at national level with regard to cases of deaths in police custody or alleged extralegal executions. The Special Rapporteur also observed that forensic experts and institutions often lack the necessary independence to carry out investigations into such deaths.3 2 3 International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 2004. See, for example, the reports of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on missions to Sri Lanka (E/CN.4/2006/53/Add.5), Nigeria (E/CN.4/2006/53/Add.4), Brazil (E/CN.4/2004/7/Add.3) and Jamaica (E/CN.4/2004/7/Add.2).