A/HRC/12/47 page 10 35. Representatives of the OHCHR Communications Section briefed the participants on the importance of public-friendly news releases and their strategy to improve the media profile of special procedures. During the exchange of views, participants discussed issues relating to the timing and outreach of news releases and their effects on and consequences for country missions. Suggestions for the effective use of other communications tools were also discussed. 36. Participants were briefed on financial resources and related country-visit planning by the OHCHR Chief of the Programme Support and Management Services and the Chief of the Finance and Budget Section, and discussed a number of specific issues relating to administrative support to mandate holders in the area of travel and medical insurance. It was highlighted that activities and responsibilities given to special procedures by the Human Rights Council had increased and had mostly had to be absorbed within existing resources. 37. Mandate holders discussed logistical issues in relation to the exercise of their mandates, as well as queries regarding visa and identification documents. The Secretariat gave an update on the progress and negotiations with partners towards improvement of travel-related and financial matters. VII. INTEGRATING HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACHES AND MECHANISMS INTO THE WORK OF THE SPECIAL PROCEDURES A. Protection of victims and witnesses 38. Participants discussed the protection of victims and witnesses as well as human rights defenders who cooperated with the special procedures. They noted that this issue touched upon the core of the work of special procedures and underlined the importance of ensuring that persons who assisted in fact-finding and in submitting reports about human rights violations were not subjected to reprisals. Whereas all mandate holders had the responsibility not to do any harm, as set out in a number of guiding documents, it was noted that the main responsibility for protection lay with States. 39. Participants shared experiences and good practices in that regard, including obtaining the consent of victims and witnesses to the extent possible, and the mechanism of letters as a means of prompt intervention. Participants highlighted the principle of informing the source of the different options available for the use of the information they provided, one being anonymity. They noted the dichotomy between the expectations of people willing to cooperate with them and their lack of means to provide security to witnesses and victims of reprisals. The attention of the Secretary-General had been drawn to this issue. Participants also noted the importance of raising awareness among United Nations field staff and non-State actors during country visits. The need for guidelines, inter alia for mandate holders, was discussed, including on the question of child victims of reprisals. B. Human rights and climate change 40. Participants heard a briefing by a representative of the Center for International Environment Law on a human rights approach to addressing climate change. He noted the challenge of the need to both address climate change and ensure the realization and protection of human rights, which required mechanisms and processes for mainstreaming