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A/71/755/Add.1 6/7 17-14097 25. As at 1 July 2017, 29 Member States had contributed or pledged, in writing or orally, to contribute to the Mechanism a total of approximately US$6,946,455, of which US$4,969,461 had been received. 26. I appreciate the positive response to the creation of the Mechanism, its terms of reference, and the broad donor base for its financing. I encourage ongoing financial support and reiterate in particular my call on Member States to commit themselves to providing multi-year funding for the Mechanism. 27. Experience indicates that voluntary funding can pose serious challenges for the continued sustainability of established institutions. Although the Mechanism is not a judicial institution, some of the challenges faced by international tribunals funded through voluntary contributions could also apply to the Mechanism. It is important to plan for the future and to bear in mind that some activities of the Mechanism, such as those related to the security of victims and witnesses, or archiving and the long-term preservation of information and evidence, will induce long-term costs. IV. Cooperation 28. I welcome the fact that Member States, in discussions on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as in the larger context of accountability, regularly refer to the importance of the Mechanism and that there should be no impunity for the most serious crimes under international law. 29. The General Assembly, in resolution 71/248, called upon all States to cooperate fully with the Mechanism and in particular to provide the Mechanism with any information and documentation they may possess, as well as any other forms of assistance. The Assembly also called upon all parties to the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic as well as civil society to cooperate fully with the Mechanism and in particular to provide it with any information and documentation they may possess. 30. I am encouraged by the assistance already received by the Mechanism and wish to underline the importance for the Mechanism to receive the full support and cooperation of all States, as well as of the parties to the conflict, and civil society, so as to effectively contribute to accountability for the crimes committed in the Syrian Arab Republic. I call on States to ensure that they have the necessary legal basis and procedures in place to share relevant information and documentation with the Mechanism. 31. I remain fully committed to ensuring that the United Nations system fully cooperates with the Mechanism, and promptly responds to any request, including access to information and documentation, in accordance with United Nations practice. 32. Promoting accountability and ensuring that human dignity is preserved is an integral part of the mandate of the United Nations. In this regard, I welcome the coordination taking place to ensure that the mandates and work of the Commission of Inquiry and the Mechanism are complementary. I am deeply appreciative of the Commission’s commitment to cooperate fully with the Mechanism. 33. It is anticipated that some of the information and documentation to be provided to the Mechanism will be confidential in character. I call upon the Mechanism and the entities that will provide information and documentation to work together to seek to ensure that confidentiality concerns relating to suc