A/HRC/RES/33/15 4. Also recognizes the role of independent national human rights institutions in working together with their Governments to ensure full respect for human rights at the national level, including by contributing, as appropriate, to follow-up actions to the recommendations made by international human rights mechanisms; 5. Encourages national human rights institutions to continue to play an active role in preventing and combating all violations and abuses of human rights as enumerated in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and relevant international instruments; 6. Also encourages national human rights institutions to assist, advise and engage with the State and other stakeholders in the prevention of violations and abuses of human rights, including by promoting the ratification of international treaties, promoting legal and procedural reforms, conducting practical and relevant human rights training and education, and raising public awareness and advocacy about the promotion and protection of human rights; 7. Stresses the importance of financial and administrative independence and the stability of national human rights institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights, and notes with satisfaction the efforts of those Member States that have provided their national human rights institutions with more autonomy and independence, including by giving them an investigative role or enhancing such a role, and encourages other Governments to consider taking similar steps; 8. Also stresses that national human rights institutions and their respective members and staff should not face any form of reprisal or intimidation, including political pressure, physical intimidation, harassment or unjustifiable budgetary limitations, as a result of activities undertaken in accordance with their respective mandates, including when taking up individual cases or when reporting on serious or systematic violations in their countries; 9. Recognizes the role that national human rights institutions can play in preventing and addressing cases of reprisal as part of supporting cooperation between their Governments and the United Nations in the promotion of human rights, including by contributing, as appropriate, to follow-up actions to recommendations made by international human rights mechanisms; 10. Calls upon States to promptly and thoroughly investigate any cases of alleged reprisal or intimidation against members or staff of national human rights institutions or against individuals who cooperate, seek to cooperate or have cooperated with them, and to bring perpetrators to justice; 11. Welcomes the growing number of Member States establishing or considering the establishment of national human rights institutions in accordance with the Paris Principles, and welcomes in particular the large number of States that have accepted recommendations to establish national human rights institutions at the universal periodic review and, where relevant, by treaty bodies and special procedures; 12. Also welcomes the continuing number of national institutions seeking accreditation status through the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, and encourages national institutions, including ombudsman institutions, to seek accreditation status; 13. Further welcomes the important role of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, in close cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in assessing conformity with the Paris Principles and in assisting States and national institutions, when requested, to strengthen national human rights institutions in accordance with the Paris Principles; 3