A/HRC/25/55 I. Introduction 1. The present report is the sixth and last submitted to the Council by the Special Rapporteur, and the fourteenth thematic report submitted by the mandate holder on human rights defenders since 2000. The report is submitted pursuant to Council resolutions 7/8 and 16/5, requesting her to report regularly. 2. After providing an overview of her activities during the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur provides her own reflections on the work of the mandate since she was appointed in 2008, focusing on the main tools at her disposal, lessons learned and challenges in the discharge of her functions. 3. Based on the work of the mandate, the Special Rapporteur then elaborates on the main elements that in her view are necessary for defenders to be able to operate in a safe and enabling environment. In the final chapter, the Special Rapporteur provides her conclusions and recommendations. II. Activities during the reporting period A. Communications transmitted to States 4. Between 1 December 2011 and 30 November 2012, the Special Rapporteur sent 241 communications to 78 States. At the time of writing, 109 responses had been received, indicating a 45 per cent response rate — approximately the same as the previous year. Observations on communications sent during the period and on the corresponding responses by Governments are included in addendum 3 to the present report (A/HRC/25/55/Add.3). B. Country visits 5. During the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur visited the Republic of Korea from 29 May to 6 June 2013, and Togo from 7 to 11 October 2013. She would like to thank both Governments for accepting her requests to conduct country visits and facilitating them. Separate reports on these visits have been submitted as addenda 1 and 2 to the present report, respectively (A/HRC/25/55/Add.1 and 2). Both the Republic of Korea and Togo have submitted comments thereon (A/HRC/25/55/Add.4 and 5). Pending requests 6. As of December 2013, the Special Rapporteur has the following outstanding visit requests: Bahrain (2012), Belarus (2002, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011), Bhutan (2001, 2002), Burundi (2012), Cambodia (2012), Chad (2002, 2003, 2004), China (2008, 2010), Dominican Republic (2012), Egypt (2003, 2008, 2010, 2012), Equatorial Guinea (2002), Fiji (2010, 2012), Indonesia (2012), Jamaica (2012), Kenya (2003, 2004), Kyrgyzstan (2012), Malawi (2012), Malaysia (2002, 2010), Maldives (2006), Mexico (2011), Mozambique (2003, 2004), Namibia (2011), Nepal (2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2012), Oman (2012), Pakistan (2003, 2007, 2008, 2010), Philippines (2008, 2010, 2012), Russian Federation (2004, 2011), Saudi Arabia (2012), Senegal (2012), Singapore (2002, 2004), Sri Lanka (2008, 2010), Syrian Arab Republic (2008, 2010), Thailand (2012), Turkmenistan (2003, 2004), United Arab Emirates (2012), Uzbekistan (2001, 2004, 2007), Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (2007, 2008, 2010), Viet Nam (2012) and Zimbabwe 3