A/HRC/39/58 regional mechanisms and developing new ones. The United Nations can also strengthen the international legal order by actively promoting the exchange of jurisprudence between regional mechanisms and active dialogue regarding common issues and best practices. That is important for resolving potential tensions between the universal approach to human rights and regional approaches. More specifically, the partnership between OHCHR and human rights mechanisms (particularly through its regional and country offices and through its special procedures and treaty bodies) has proven crucial in the promotion and protection of human rights at the local level. OHCHR helps regional mechanisms and States with drafting human rights instruments, following up on the universal periodic review, supporting the work of national human rights institutions, providing platforms and training, and by acting as a bridge between global and regional mechanisms. 50. National human rights institutions and civil societies have also contributed to regional and subregional human rights arrangements. They play a special role as an institutional bridge between individuals and States and between States and international society. Meanwhile, members of civil society have made significant contributions to ensuring the long-term effectiveness of regional human rights arrangements. NGOs, although facing resource constraints and shrinking civil society space, successfully spread human rights values, lobby Governments, publish independent reports, create blueprints for further human rights progress, draft human rights conventions and even help to create new international bodies. This bottom-up pressure can help regional arrangements to work more smoothly in cases of strong member State commitment and can help generate commitment where it is initially lacking. 51. At their best, regional human rights mechanisms can change State laws and practices, promote the rights of the most vulnerable and serve as a reference model for member States and neighbouring regions. To achieve optimal results from such arrangements, there is a need to ensure that most, if not all, States within the region ratify the relevant conventions. There is also a need to ensure the independence of judges and the existence of an enforcement mechanism for their decisions. The implementation of a monitoring mechanism to follow up on decisions is also necessary, as is allowing members of civil society to participate in the process. More broadly, collaboration with OHCHR, State Governments, local governments, national human rights institutions, corporations and NGOs at all stages of the development and operation of a mechanism must be ensured and strengthened. Lastly, securing human and financial resources is vital for ensuring effective operation. 52. The implications of the present study for the prospects of a new regional mechanism in Asia is that all actors, including Governments and civil societies, must play strong roles in promoting a mechanism of multilevel cooperation. Although there are several possible routes to creating a regional arrangement in Asia and improving existing mechanisms elsewhere, it is certain that this cannot be accomplished by simply mimicking mechanisms from other regions. It requires strong State leadership, supplemented by all relevant stakeholders such as national assemblies and legislatures, courts, national human rights institutions, law enforcement agencies and even corporations. Recommendations 53. Member States of regional human rights arrangements need to make greater efforts to guarantee adequate funding for the latter. Without funds, even the best designed procedures will struggle to protect human rights adequately. The sustainability of regional arrangements requires strong commitment by member States and the active participation and oversight of other human rights organizations, both domestic and international. That said, worsening economic conditions around the world mean that regional arrangements may face increased competition for access to State budgets. There is a need for innovative thinking and experimentation by human rights practitioners and the international community to find ways to enable regional arrangements to do more with less. Leveraging new technologies for greater 17