A/HRC/20/37 5. In the framework of the six-point plan, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic also committed itself to intensify the pace and scale of release of arbitrarily detained persons, including especially vulnerable categories of persons and persons involved in peaceful political activities, and to allow access to detention places. The Government also pledged to ensure freedom of movement throughout the country for journalists, and to ensure a non-discriminatory visa policy for them. In addition, the Government undertook to respect freedom of association and the right to peaceful assembly. 6. It should be recalled that the Security Council, in its resolution 2043 (2012), authorized, for an initial period of 90 days, the deployment of the United Nations Supervision Mission in the Syrian Arab Republic (UNSMIS), comprising an initial deployment of up to 300 unarmed military observers as well as an appropriate civilian component, as required by the Mission to fulfil its mandate. Its mandate is to monitor the cessation of armed violence in all its forms by all parties, and to monitor and support the full implementation of the above-mentioned six-point plan. During the reporting period, a certain reduction in violence was observed in areas where UNSMIS was present. III. Information from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic 7. In its resolution 19/22, the Human Rights Council requested specific actions from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to address the human rights and humanitarian situation, particularly in paragraphs 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 17 and 18. On 12 April 2012, OHCHR, on my behalf, addressed a note verbale to the Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic in which it requested information on any steps taken by the Government to implement resolution 19/22. In response, on 1 May 2012, the Permanent Mission addressed a note verbale to OHCHR in which it pointed out that the Government rejected and would continue to reject resolution 19/22, arguing that it went beyond the mandate of the Council, was inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations and did not reflect the reality on the ground. According to the Government, resolution 19/22 lacked credibility owing to the absence of reference to the grave and systematic human rights violations perpetrated by what it called “terrorist armed groups”. The Government provided information on human rights violations that it attributed to “terrorist armed groups”, as described below. Information on alleged violations committed by other actors was not provided. 8. In its note verbale of 1 May 2012, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic stated that, in accordance with its international obligations and commitments and in line with the State’s sovereignty and the choices of the Syrian people, it had cooperated openly and transparently with all United Nations mechanisms, eschewing politicization and prejudgements based on “fabricated evidence” to condemn the Syrian Arab Republic. According to the Government, States seeking the “destruction” of the Syrian Arab Republic had ignored its cooperation with the United Nations. In this context, the Government considered that the information it had transmitted to OHCHR and the United Nations prior to the adoption of Human Rights Council resolution 19/22 had not been reflected in the resolution. The Government considered resolution 19/22 to be part of a campaign against the Syrian Arab Republic and, in its view, it merely reflected accounts from media outlets funded by States seeking the “destruction” of the Syrian Arab Republic. 9. In its note verbale of 1 May 2012, the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic stated that resolution 19/22 sent a clear message to “terrorist armed groups” and their sponsors that they were allowed “to spill Syrian blood and to continue their operations”. In the view of the Government, this negative and dangerous message had resulted in an escalation of terrorist operations in Damascus and the second largest city in the Syrian Arab Republic, Aleppo, in addition to other cities where, the Government stated, residents did 4