A/HRC/57/60 Mechanism urged the Human Rights Council to call upon States to behave with integrity and respect towards all participants attending or involved in any meeting of the Expert Mechanism and to ensure the highest ethical and professional standards. The Expert Mechanism also urged the Council to strongly reaffirm that any act of harassment or reprisal against participants was inadmissible and that it would be dealt with promptly.22 In 2023, the secretariat of the Expert Mechanism developed an internal guidance note on identifying allegations of intimidation and reprisals and determining follow-up actions. 24. During the twelfth Forum on Business and Human Rights, the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and OHCHR piloted a system to strengthen the Forum’s response to reprisals, with a focus on prevention. During his opening statement, the Chairperson of the Working Group emphasized that the Forum must remain a safe and inclusive space for constructive dialogue for all stakeholders, without discrimination or intimidation. 23 The Forum issued an information note with a zero-tolerance message on reprisals and how to report allegations, while OHCHR raised awareness of the issue in the Forum and also discussed it with representatives from States, businesses and civil society, including Indigenous Peoples’ representatives. OHCHR also identified risk mitigation measures for addressing the specific protection concerns of some of the participants and put in place a system to receive, address and document allegations, including the identification of focal points in the Working Group and in the OHCHR secretariat and coordination with OHCHR regional and country offices. 25. On 8 November 2023, the Security Council Affairs Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and OHCHR held a joint session on participation and civil society briefers at Security Council meetings in the framework of the induction programme for incoming Council members. The session addressed the framework for the participation of civil society at Security Council meetings, the opportunities and risks of intimidation and reprisals and good practices for Council members to support civil society engagement with the Council. 26. To further strengthen awareness-raising on reprisals and treaty body response, the OHCHR web page on preventing and addressing acts of intimidation and reprisal for cooperation with the treaty bodies and the list of rapporteurs and focal points of the human rights treaty bodies was updated.24 In addition, the induction session for new members of the treaty bodies, held in February 2024, included a meeting on the implementation of the Guidelines against Intimidation or Reprisals.25 27. Ahead of major events convening young people at the United Nations, such as the Economic and Social Council youth forum, the United Nations Youth Office has promoted its youth-friendly online training course on engaging safely at the United Nations, which covers abuse of authority, discrimination, harassment, including sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse. The Youth Office, together with OHCHR, has also provided technical support and guidance to relevant United Nations entities when they are faced with reprisals against and the intimidation of young participants in United Nations events. 28. The Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the United Nations Population Fund, the Youth Office and OHCHR are working to develop internal guidance to support and safeguard the meaningful and safe participation of young briefers to the Security Council, in recognition of potential protection concerns.26 29. The Human Rights Service of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) built upon the good practices developed by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) to raise awareness on digital safety and protection from online attacks, including on reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations. UNAMA partnered with UN-Women to adapt the publication entitled Online Protection and Digital Security: 22 23 24 25 26 6 A/HRC/54/64, paras. 27 and 28. See https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1u/k1uniy7i13 (2:07:21). See https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/preventing-and-addressing-acts-intimidation-andreprisal-cooperation-treaty-bodies. HRI/MC/2024/2, paras. 19 and 21. S/2024/207, para. 25. GE.24-14259