Selection of topics and formulation of strategies 2. 1) Identifying topics of concern among civic organizations and NHRC members While preparing independent opinions and executing human rights projects, the NHRC engages in frequent dialogue and interaction with civil organizations. By May 2023, the NHRC has held 203 hearings and had exchanges with 577 organizations in an effort to understand the topics of concern among such organizations. The Commission provided 263 independent opinions on the Third National Report on the Two Covenants, 137 independent opinions on the Second National Report on the CRPD, 142 independent opinions on the Second National Report on the CRC, 36 independent opinions on the Fourth National Report on CEDAW, and 140 independent opinions on the Initial National Report on ICERD. The NHRC took an inventory of these independent opinions and issues of concern in the concluding observations of each covenant as a reference for the formulation of medium-term strategies and topics of concern. 2) Preliminary opinions from the NHRC’s human rights consultants and members The NHRC referenced the aforementioned domestic and foreign sources and gave consideration to which groups were at higher risk of human rights violations, the impact of emerging human rights issues in major international countries, and the need to construct a comprehensive framework of operations, and then selected six preliminary topics of concern—improving 12