A/75/179 (e) Regarding protection, States should encourage investigative journalism, whistle-blowing and independent human rights advocacy as an essential societal function aimed at preventing abuse of power and corruption, and should protect such activities from any form of reprisal, intimidation or criminalization; (f) Regarding systemic integrity, States should abolish the currently ubiquitous intermingling of private and public interests and other conflicts of interest undermining democracy and the rule of law, including private campaign funding, parliamentary lobbying, and the large-scale privatization of essential public functions. 88. At the international level, States should fully cooperate with international mechanisms for the protection of human rights. In their dialogues with such mechanisms, States should hold themselves to the highest standards of self scrutiny and respond to all inquiries made in the requested detail, consciously avoiding the predominant patterns of denial described in the present report and refraining from any threatening, aggressive or dismissive reactions or other actions or omissions sabotaging the integrity, independence and effectiveness of the mechanisms. 20-09728 25/25