A/HRC/35/18 Donor Contribution Biennium 2014-2015 Germany 242 843 Kazakhstan 53 890 Netherlands 30 000 Norway Oman 601 732 10 000 Biennium 2016-2017 Germany Republic of Korea Norway 109 649 25 000 238 175 Saudi Arabia 75 000 Spain 54 348 Total contributions 5 088 085 41. Table 1 shows the detailed financial situation of the Voluntary Fund as at 31 December 2016 (statement of income and expenditure). 42. Since the establishment of the Voluntary Fund in 2009, 13 countries have made financial contributions: Australia, Colombia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Oman, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Table 2 provides an overview of all contributions received from the establishment of the Voluntary Fund to 31 December 2016. 43. It is expected that, as the revitalized OHCHR strategic vision for follow-up support focuses on providing support to States in implementing key thematic priority recommendations in a holistic and integrated manner, the demand from States for financial support from the Voluntary Fund will continue and indeed increase. Hence, it is critical to extend the donor base and obtain additional funding in order to make a sustained impact at the country level in providing technical assistance and support to States for more effective implementation of recommendations emanating from international human rights mechanisms. V. Conclusions 44. The primary responsibility for implementing recommendations of international human rights mechanisms at the country level rests with States. Hence, securing the political will of States and enhancing their ability to bring about tangible results is vital to meeting the key objective of the universal periodic review, namely, improving the human rights situation on the ground. With a view to achieving that objective, the Voluntary Fund has continued to serve as a valuable source of support for countries in the implementation of the recommendations emanating from their universal periodic review and from other international human rights mechanisms such as treaty bodies and special procedures. 45. The focus of OHCHR support has been on building the capacity of States to implement more effectively the recommendations of international human rights mechanisms, particularly by providing support for the establishment or strengthening of national follow-up mechanisms and processes, including inter-institutional bodies such as national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up. 46. OHCHR support to help national follow-up mechanisms and processes function more effectively has continued to gain traction. That support to national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up will continue in close coordination with the OHCHR treaty body capacity-building programme. Support from the Voluntary Fund will 10