A/HRC/4/41 page 101 Palestinian Authority Number of outstanding cases at the beginning of the period under review 3 Cases transmitted to the Government during the period under review Cases sent under Cases sent under the urgent action the standard procedure procedure 0 Number of cases on which the Government has replied 0 General allegation Prompt intervention letter Working Group request for a visit 0 Cases clarified during the period under review by: Government Non-governmental sources 0 Multiple replies on some cases N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 Number of outstanding cases at the end of the year under review 3 Number of cases of possible clarification by Government (6-month rule) N/A Government response Government response Government response N/A N/A N/A 494. There was no activity during the period under review. A summary of the situation in the country is in the last report (E/CN.4/2006/56 and Corr.1). IV. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 495. In 2006, the Working Group transmitted 248 newly reported cases of disappearance to 16 Governments, 79 of which allegedly occurred during 2006. The Working Group used the urgent action procedure for 87 of these cases, which allegedly occurred within the three months preceding the receipt of the report by the Working Group. During the reporting period, the Working Group was able to clarify 152 cases of disappearance. The Working Group discontinued 18 cases. The Working Group is grateful for the cooperation received from a number of Governments. Nevertheless, it remains concerned that, of the 79 States with outstanding cases, some Governments (Burundi, Guinea, Israel, Mozambique, Namibia and Seychelles, as well as the Palestinian Authority), have never replied to the Working Group’s requests for information or its reminders. Some Governments provide responses that do not contain relevant information. The Working Group urges those Governments to fulfil their obligations under the Declaration, the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights. The cooperation of Governments is indispensable to discovering the fate or whereabouts of disappeared persons around the globe. 496. The Working Group is concerned about underreporting of disappearances in certain regions and countries. This is due, among other reasons, to government restrictions on civil society work on this sensitive issue. The Working Group is concerned that in a number of States, legal restrictions are placed upon NGOs working on cases of disappearance. NGO workers and witnesses to disappearances are also subject to threats and harassment. The Working Group strongly urges States to allow NGOs to undertake their work freely and without impediment, to allow families of victims of disappearances to organize freely without bureaucratic restriction or legislative obstacles and to protect witnesses.