A/HRC/44/42/Add.2 cooperation with the international community and civil society also exists in the area of health-care and other services provided to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. 70. The increased flow of migrants in 2018 and 2019 has exposed the significant institutional and coordination weakness of the authorities at various levels of government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The political deadlock has undermined the capacity of the State to respond to the migration situation in line with international human rights standards. The Special Rapporteur strongly urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to assume State responsibility and engage with authorities at all levels with a view to working towards a State-led response to the migration situation in the country. 71. Issues related to migration governance are politicized at various levels of government. Certain politicians use anti-migrant rhetoric for political gain, neglecting the negative impact that it has on the rights of migrants. Bosnia and Herzegovina should take all measures necessary to take the lead in the development of both short-term and long-term migration strategies that place the human rights of migrants at their centre. An assessment of the total number of migrants in the country, as well as in the region, would be helpful first steps. 72. Considering the nature of migration and the specific regional context, Bosnia and Herzegovina may benefit from a meaningful regional consultation with neighbouring countries for seeking constructive regional solutions. A participatory consultation with countries in the region on migration governance would provide an opportunity to assess the profile of migrants in the region. A regional consultation could also provide a platform for the intensification of regional efforts to combat human trafficking, smuggling networks and other organized criminal activities. The Special Rapporteur encourages the resident coordinator to facilitate such a regional consultation. 73. The Special Rapporteur calls upon Bosnia and Herzegovina to undertake all steps necessary to strengthen the State-level Coordination Body for Migration and to ensure that decisions taken by the Coordination Body are based on wide consultation with the relevant government institutions at the entity, cantonal and municipal levels. It is also essential to enhance the Coordination Body’s power to enforce the implementation of its decisions. The Special Rapporteur encourages Bosnia and Herzegovina to take action in that regard. 74. The Special Rapporteur urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve access to asylum and enhance the efficiency of the asylum procedure. To that end, he recommends that the Government: (a) Set up outreach teams to conduct individual assessments, determine protection needs and register asylum seekers at the border areas and within the country, including in Republika Srpska; (b) Undertake age assessments to identify children, especially unaccompanied or separated children, to ensure that protection measures are in place and that, in all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child are a primary consideration; (c) Allocate additional resources to the authorities in charge of asylum procedures to enhance their capacity and efficiency in registering and processing asylum claims and address the delay in the asylum procedure, with a view to ensuring that asylum seekers are registered and that applications for asylum are assessed within a reasonable time frame; (d) Consider technical cooperation with the relevant United Nations agencies, in particular UNHCR, to identify and favourably prioritize applications from individuals with manifestly well-founded claims or vulnerabilities warranting prioritized attention to meet their protection needs; (e) Provide necessary identification and other administrative documents, without undue delay, for asylum seekers whose claims are pending for evaluation to enable their access to work and other services; (f) Provide free legal aid and interpretation services, throughout the procedure, as recognized in domestic legislation, for asylum seekers; 14