A/HRC/16/78 I. Introduction 1. This report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council decision 2/102, in which the Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue with the fulfilment of her activities, in accordance with all previous decisions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights and to update the relevant reports and studies. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had initially interpreted decision 2/102 as extending previous reports of the Commission on Human Rights and providing for an annual reporting cycle. Until recently, this interpretation had been deemed to have received the tacit approval of member States. However, an objection was placed on the record in 2010 in the context of another report which also referred to decision 2/102 as the basis for its annual reporting. OHCHR has thus reviewed the said decision, and concluded that the Human Rights Council sought to fill a technical gap by ensuring that reports which were deemed to have been submitted to the sixty-second session of the Human Rights Commission would be extended by one year and transferred to the subsequent substantive session of the Human Rights Council. With this transition period over and an objection now on record with regard to the initial interpretation of annual reporting cycles, if the Human Rights Council wishes such reporting to be continued, a new Human Rights Council resolution or decision on the matter should be tabled. 2. In 2010, the Human Rights Section of the United Nations Integrated Peace-building Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) continued its engagement in implementing the human rights mandate of Security Council resolution 1829 (2008) and the subsequent extension under resolutions 1886 (2009) and 1941 (2010) which extended UNIPSIL's mandate until 15 September 2011. The mandate emphasizes UNIPSIL’s role in providing assistance to the Government by promoting the rule of law and human rights, including more specifically, support to the National Human Rights Commission. 3. The human rights situation in Sierra Leone has improved since the original resolutions were adopted by the Commission on Human Rights. National elections in 2002 and 2007, and local Government elections in 2004 were peaceful and democratic, as was the transfer of power from one elected Government to another in September 2007. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) issued it final report in 2004, and some of its recommendations are being implemented. There has been a comprehensive reform of national security institutions, such as the Sierra Leone Police, the Armed Forces and the Office of National Security, and the creation of democratic institutions such as the National Electoral Commission, the Political Parties Registration Commission, the Human Rights Commission Sierra Leone (HRCSL) and the Anti Corruption Commission. While Sierra Leone continues to register a consistent trend towards respect for civil and political rights, many challenges still remain, and the Human Rights Section will continue to provide support to state institutions and all relevant stakeholders to address these challenges. II. Human rights situation in Sierra Leone 4. There has been progress in the advancement of human rights legislation on disability and freedom of information. At the time of writing this report, a Disability Bill and a Freedom of Information Bill were at advanced stages for enactment by Parliament. There have also been positive developments in relation to policy formulation as the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs developed a National Gender Strategic Plan (NGSP) in June 2010, and the President has launched a National Action Plan based on United Nations Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008). The NGSP aims 3