A/HRC/43/3 with treaty bodies. OHCHR also promoted increased interaction between the European Union and treaty bodies. 2. Human Rights Council 8. During the reporting period, OHCHR established the secretariat of the independent international fact-finding mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. It also continued supporting the independent commissions of inquiry on Burundi and the Syrian Arab Republic, the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar, the Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen, the team of international experts on the situation in Kasai and the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan. 9. OHCHR supported the efforts of the Bureau of the Human Rights Council to increase efficiency, including by revisiting the programme of work and further rationalization of initiatives. It also supported the President’s initiatives to hold consultations on the review of the status of the Human Rights Council pursuant to resolution 65/281 and supported a retreat of the Council in Dakar in October, focusing on its role in addressing pressing global challenges. 10. Contributions from States to the OHCHR-administered voluntary technical assistance trust fund to support the participation of least developed countries and small island developing States in the work of the Human Rights Council supported the participation of 26 delegates and fellows, including 18 women. To further enhance participation in the work of the Council, in November 2019, OHCHR organized a second regional workshop in Nadi, Fiji, which adopted the Nadi Declaration Towards 2022 2 aimed at enhancing the participation of Pacific small island developing States. OHCHR also continued to support follow-up to the Georgetown Declaration: Towards 2022 to enhance the participation of Caribbean States. 3 3. Universal periodic review 11. OHCHR continued to support Governments, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and the United Nations country teams in the preparation and submission of reports for the universal periodic review, including in Barbados, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kiribati, Lesotho, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Timor-Leste. The voluntary trust fund for participation in the universal periodic review, administered by OHCHR, provided support to 13 States. The High Commissioner continued to address letters to ministers of foreign affairs, offering follow-up support for the implementation of recommendations of the universal periodic review. 4. Special procedures 12. OHCHR continued to support the work of 44 thematic and 12 country-specific special procedure mandates, some of which faced attacks or threats during the year. Reports A/HRC/43/64 and Add.1, as well as A/HRC/43/65, provide an overview of the activities and recommendations of special procedures. As part of its support, OHCHR also assisted the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, including with ongoing efforts to improve the system in response to growing expectations and the concerns raised. A new web page provides examples of the human rights impact of special procedures.4 5. Follow-up to the work of human rights mechanisms 13. OHCHR assisted States in establishing or strengthening national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up, including in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, North Macedonia, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic 2 3 4 See www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/LDCs_SIDS/Workshops/Pacific Region/Nadi_Declaration_Towards_2022.pdf. See www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/LDCs_SIDS/Workshops/Caribbean Region/GeorgetownDeclarationTowards2022.pdf. See www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/SPGoodStories.aspx. 3