Key NHRCK Activities Classification Year Total 2018 29,953 4,785 16 9,900 33.1 18 0.1 15,054 50.3 196 0.7 2017 25,640 5,399 21.1 7,612 29.7 24 0.1 12,486 48.7 119 0.5 2016 19,416 5,035 25.9 7,935 40.9 44 0.2 6,286 32.4 116 0.6 Postal mail/Fax Internet Presidential Secretaria e-People Others * The cumulative sum is the total from November 25, 2001 (the date of the establishment of the Commission), to December 31, 2020. In February 2018, the Task Force to Improve Petition Filing and Processing Procedures Part 2 Section 3. Preliminary Investigations and Mediation highlighted some key challenges in getting petitions properly processed. These include for too long because investigators are largely dedicated to handling withdrawn petitions, and a need for prompt handling of petitions as they are filed (through dismissal, mediation, settlement, etc.). Addressing these challenges would help the Commission be more involved in mediation. Against this backdrop, the Commission revisited its organization manning document on July 24, 2018 to reorganize the Human Rights Counseling Center as the Human Rights Counseling and Mediation Center, and establish a team dedicated to preliminary investigation and mediation of petitions. 1. Preliminary Investigations Since August 2018, the Preliminary Investigation and Mediation Team was assigned 17.7% (3,584) of all 21,946 petitions filed until December 2019 and processed 15.8% (3,547) of all 22,429 petitions closed during the same period. In 2020, the team accounted for 1,234 (13.3%) of 9,301 total petitions closed, contributing to the overall enhanced work flow of the Commission. 81 Key NHRCK Activities investigators overloaded with cases, key petitions not getting proper attention and left unattended