A/HRC/7/38 page 18 harmonization of working methods and streamlined reporting guidelines. The proposals of the working group on harmonization were in turn considered at the sixth inter-committee meeting and the nineteenth meeting of chairpersons in June 2007. Participants in the meetings recognized the need to improve and harmonize further the working methods of the human rights treaty bodies and considered it appropriate that the inter-committee meeting be held twice annually. 78. Revised guidelines for a common core document to be submitted to all human rights treaty bodies accompanied by the relevant treaty-specific report were accepted at the fifth inter-committee meeting and the eighteenth meeting of chairpersons; with the agreement of the sixth inter-committee meeting and the nineteenth meeting of chairpersons, a note verbale was sent to all States parties recommending their use. Several States have submitted common core documents and others are preparing such a document. As noted above, Switzerland has developed an electronic tool (the Index) based on the guidelines to assist in streamlined reporting. The tool is being used in workshops on reporting to human rights treaty bodies. In addition, the treaty bodies have begun the task of harmonizing and simplifying their own guidelines so that they are in line with those for the common core document, with one treaty body having finalized its guidelines and others being well advanced in this task. Reporting workshops in which the Treaties and Council Branch participated in 2007 prioritized the guidelines on the common core document to address the need to streamline the treaty body system, and the preparation of treaty-specific reports. Harmonization of the follow-up activities of treaty bodies is also proceeding, including in the context of follow-up to views on individual complaints. 79. A working group consisting of representatives of seven treaty bodies developed a common approach to reservations to human rights treaties and discussed the issue with the International Law Commission at a special seminar in May 2007. In this context, it should be noted that the responsibility for the support for the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was transferred to my Office in 2007 and its first Geneva session was held in January 2008. 80. Participants in the sixth inter-committee meeting held discussions with the bureau of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on interaction between national human rights institutions and treaty bodies and recommended that the conclusions of the round table on the role of national human rights institutions in the treaty reporting process, held in Berlin, in November 2006, should form the basis for the discussion on the matter in future harmonization meetings of the treaty bodies. 81. At the nineteenth meeting of chairpersons, discussions were held on the universal periodic review mechanism of the Human Rights Council. The chairpersons underlined the complementary and mutually reinforcing nature of the treaty body system and the future review and emphasized the importance of a continuing dialogue on that matter. They appreciated that the findings and recommendations of treaty bodies would form part of the basis of the review, highlighted the role of the concluding observations in that regard and further recognized the need for developing effective cooperation between the treaty bodies and the Council. The joint meeting with special procedures mandate-holders in June 2007 provided a further opportunity to exchange views on the above-mentioned issues.