The present report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers contains three main chapters. The first presents an analysis of safeguards established by international law to ensure the independence of lawyers and the legal profession, which form a prerequisite for lawyers in the free and effective discharge of their professional functions. In the second chapter, the report contains a brief review and assessment of the work performed by the mandate holder during six years of his tenure, including specific suggestions regarding main challenges and conditions to be addressed in order to ensure the increased effectiveness of this special procedure mandate and that it truly contributes, as it should, to democratic governance throughout the world. As in all previous reports to the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, major developments in international justice are presented in chapter three. Reference is made throughout the report to several Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.