A/HRC/13/56 occupation of the east of the country. The complacency of the Government revealed the lack of political will to put an end to the suffering of the population. 477. Interfaith International, in a joint statement with Rencontre africaine pour la défense des droits de l’homme and the Al-Hakim Foundation, encouraged the Democratic Republic of the Congo to combat the culture of impunity, discrimination against Bambeto pygmies, the rape of women and the stigmatization of “witch” children, and to take appropriate measures to build transparency and good management of mining resources to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Interfaith International congratulated the country on its openness to Council mechanisms. 478. The International Voluntarism Organization for Women, Education, Development and the International Institute of Mary our help of the Salesians of Don Bosco welcomed the achievements in human rights made in the country. It noted that measures taken by the Government in relation to combating grave economic and sexual exploitation of children, as well as putting an end to impunity of those responsible for sexual crimes against children, were insufficient. It stressed that serious situations of exploitation persisted, in particular in the Katanga region. Mines were still places of economic and sexual exploitation of children, including young girls under the age of 12. The Organization expressed the hope that more adequate and effective measures be taken in this regard. 479. The International Institute of Mary our help of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the International Voluntarism Organization for Women, Education, Development welcomed the efforts to reinforce the national legal framework of child protection. The Institute stressed the serious violations of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in the Katanga region, particularly due to extreme poverty. The Organization noted the increase of street children and children accused of witchcraft, who were exposed to abuse. It hoped that the State would pay special attention to this vulnerable group. With regard to the right to education, the Organization suggested that the country ensure free education. 480. The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network noted the decision of the Human Rights Committee, which considered that criminalizing homosexual conduct violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It urged the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure that the Penal Code was not applied to criminalize homosexual activity between consenting adults; adopt measures and programmes for the prevention of HIV/AIDS; and provide law enforcement and judicial officials with training on the protection of human rights of sexual minorities. 481. Amnesty International hoped that the eight recommendations supported by the country and related to human rights defenders would be given high priority. It noted that the issue of arbitrary and incommunicado detention by security services and the army had not received sufficient attention. Amnesty International regretted that the Government had not supported the recommendation to grant access to the Joint United Nations Human Rights Office, the special rapporteurs and other independent mechanisms to places of detention. It was concerned that some national army officers suspected of serious violations of human rights and human rights law still served in operations in the east, and hoped that the universal period review would give renewed impetus to the Government to show political will to implement the national “zero tolerance” policy . 4. Concluding remarks of the State under review 482. With regard to the 28 recommendations contained in paragraph 96 of the Working Group report, the delegation stated that it had accepted recommendations 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 19, and that it had noted the remaining ones. The delegation stressed that country mandates could only be set up at the request of the country concerned. The authorities renewed their invitations to the various thematic procedures. The delegation mentioned that 151