A/HRC/10/6 page 4 5. In the final part of the study, the High Commissioner encouraged the “Human Rights Council to continue its consideration of human rights obligations in relation to access to safe drinking water and sanitation …” and “States, intergovernmental organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society and business enterprises to identify good practices in the field of safe drinking water, sanitation and human rights and make them available to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.”5 6. In March 2008, the Human Rights Council, in its resolution 7/22 adopted without a vote, decided to appoint an independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. At its ninth session in September 2008, the Council appointed Catarina de Albuquerque as independent expert, for a period of three years. Ms. de Albuquerque took up her mandate on 1 November 2008 and has since then engaged in different consultations with various stakeholders in order to define her priorities and organize her work. I. THE MANDATE OF THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT 7. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 7/22, the activities of the independent expert will focus on the following: (a) Firstly, on developing a dialogue with Governments, the relevant United Nations bodies, the private sector, local authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions, to identify, promote and exchange views on best practices related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and, in that regard, to prepare a compendium of best practices; (b) Secondly, on advancing the work by undertaking a study, in cooperation with and reflecting the views of Governments and relevant United Nations bodies, and in further cooperation with the private sector, local authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions, on the further clarification of the content of human rights obligations, including non-discrimination obligations, in relation to access to safe drinking water and sanitation; (c) Thirdly, on making recommendations that could help the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular of Goal 7.6 8. The resolution also requests the independent expert to apply a gender perspective to her work, including through the identification of gender-specific vulnerabilities, as well as to work in close coordination with other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Council, relevant United Nations bodies and the treaty bodies, and taking into account the views of other stakeholders, including relevant regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions. 5 Ibid., para. 70. 6 See para. 2 of the resolution.