A/HRC/15/22 the Commission, to extend him an invitation.32 The lack of cooperation from the Governments on this issue, which is shown by the limited number of visits he has been able to undertake during his tenure, has seriously undermined the capacity of the Special Rapporteur to carry out his mandate. 54. The Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that in situ visits offer a unique opportunity to gather first-hand information and establish a constructive and genuine dialogue between the relevant Government, civil society and the Special Rapporteur on the progress made, and difficulties encountered, in the implementation of international human rights standards relating to the sound management and disposal of hazardous products and wastes. 55. Unlike other special procedure mechanisms, the mandate has not yet developed any formal mechanism for following up on country visits. The lack of such a mechanism is the result of a variety of factors, including the scarce financial and human resources available to the mandate holder and the difficulty of identifying the government agency or body responsible for implementing the recommendations made. Nonetheless, the Special Rapporteur believes that it would be desirable to develop a mechanism — which could take the form of a follow-up report — to assess the extent to which recommendations have been implemented. C. Individual communications 56. Like most special procedures, the Special Rapporteur can receive and consider communications alleging human rights violations relating to movement and dumping of hazardous products and wastes, and intervene with Governments on behalf of the alleged victims. The intervention can relate to situations in which a human rights violation has already occurred, is ongoing, or has a likelihood of occurring. 57. The process, in general, involves the sending of a letter to the Government inviting comments on the allegations, seeking clarifications, reminding the Government of its obligations under international law and requesting information, where relevant, on steps being taken by the authorities to redress the situation in question. The text of communications sent and responses received thereon are confidential until such time as they are published in the communication report that the Special Rapporteur submits to the Council on an annual basis along with the annual report. 58. In line with recent developments in the field of corporate responsibility and accountability for transnational corporations and other business enterprises with regard to human rights, the Special Rapporteur has on some occasions entered into a direct dialogue with private enterprises, for example mining companies, to request information about human rights violations allegedly caused as a result of their acts or omissions and the measures adopted to eliminate or mitigate the adverse effects of their activities, including any compensation provided to the affected individuals and communities. 59. The Special Rapporteur attaches great importance to information he receives directly from communities or individuals allegedly affected by movement and dumping of hazardous wastes and products, or from credible organizations acting on their behalf. Although it is difficult to assess its actual impact, the individual communication mechanism represents a powerful tool to strengthen the protection of the human rights of these individuals and communities. Such a procedure also constitutes an essential element of the 32 16 See most recently Human Rights Council resolution 9/1, para. 6. GE.10-14907