A/HRC/39/72 Subsequent to his mission, the Independent Expert briefed representatives of the Development Group for Somalia, in Nairobi, and members of the Friends of Somalia group and the African Group, in Geneva. 11. The objectives of the mission were as follows: (a) To assess the human rights situation and the capacity of Somalia to meet its human rights obligations and implement the recommendations of the Council and other human rights mechanisms; (b) To follow up on issues related to sexual and gender-based violence and responses by the justice sector, particularly the role of the traditional justice system (xeer), when addressing the rights of women; (c) To assess the rights of children in Somalia in general, in particular the treatment of children who had been recaptured or who had escaped from Al-Shabaab; (d) To assess all other aspects of human rights that he had reported on previously. 12. The Independent Expert met with the Federal Minister for Human Rights and Women’s Development, the Minister for Constitutional Affairs and the Minister of Justice, as well as the Ministers for Human Rights and Women’s Development from Hirshabelle and Galmudug — two Federal Member States that he had not interacted with previously. In Puntland, he met with the Minister of Justice, the Minister for Religious Affairs and Rehabilitation, the Minister for Human Rights and Women’s Development, the Acting Chief Justice and the Acting Attorney General. 13. The Independent Expert also held meetings with the leadership of UNSOM and senior officials of AMISOM, as well as representatives of development partners and members of civil society, with whom he discussed the human rights situation — based on the above-mentioned objectives — and the support of the international community to the Joint Programme on Human Rights, which was essential for the enhancement of the capacity of the Federal Government and other stakeholders to protect human rights. 14. During the various meetings, the Independent Expert was briefed on progress made in the political, social, economic and human rights fronts as well as the challenges faced since his previous report. 15. The Independent Expert held discussions with officials of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and attended a workshop organized in Nairobi for the Federal Government Ministers and officials and civil society organizations, on the rehabilitation and integration of children who had been recaptured from or who had escaped from AlShabaab. Regarding the fate of recaptured children, UNICEF emphasized that the best interests of the children must be adhered to during their recapture, screening, rehabilitation and integration back into their communities. UNICEF, the Federal Government and regional States governments, the security forces and civil society working for child rights have all worked closely to screen the recaptured children and determine their age. All parties recognized that the recaptured children should be treated as victims, rather than armed combatants, having been abducted and forcibly recruited, brainwashed and forced to engage in combat against their will. 16. The Independent Expert learned about counter-terrorism measures being conducted through the use of drone attacks as a means of combating Al-Shabaab. He emphasizes the need for all forces involved in the conflict in Somalia to ensure respect for international humanitarian law during military operations and to respect human rights during counterterrorism measures against Al-Shabaab in order to protect the lives of the civilian population. III. Capacity of the Government to implement its human rights obligations and cooperation with human rights mechanisms 17. Somalia is a State party to five of the core human rights instruments and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has 6