A/HRC/22/39 I. Introduction 1. In the present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 19/30, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights assesses the human rights situation in Guinea in 2012 and the actions taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of international human rights mechanisms, including those made at the universal periodic review of the Human Rights Council and the recommendations made in the previous report of the High Commissioner (A/HRC/19/49). In the report, she also reviews the activities of the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) in Guinea and makes a number of recommendations for the Government and the international community. II. Main political, economic and social developments affecting human rights 2. In 2012, the social and political situation in Guinea was characterized by ongoing dissent within the political class and growing social unrest. This social and political instability undermined the Government’s efforts to improve the human rights situation and hindered the roll out of scheduled institutional reforms. 3. The political transition phase that began with the death of President Lansana Conte on 22 December 2008 should have ended in 2010 with presidential and legislative elections to re-establish the rule of law. While presidential elections were held in 2010, legislative elections have been held up by persisting conflicts between the various political groups. The main points of contention relate to the electoral process, and more specifically the institutional framework and technical conditions for organizing elections. Advances such as the rebalancing of the Independent National Electoral Commission in September 2012 and the formulation of the Commission’s strategic operational plan on 17 November 2012 give cause for hope that legislative elections may be held without delay in 2013. 4. As in 2011, demonstrations by the opposition to express their disagreement with how elections are organized continued until September 2012. The Government’s announcement in February, confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission in March, that elections would be held in July sparked a series of opposition marches and general strikes. On 24 and 31 March 2012, militants of the coalition parties belonging to the Alliance pour la démocratie et le progress (ADP) and the Collectif des partis politiques pour la finalisation de la transition (the Collectif) demonstrated to demand greater electoral transparency. The protest movement grew fiercer with the organization on 10 May 2012 of a protest march in Conakry to demand a more open political dialogue; several people were injured when security forces broke up the crowd. This march was followed by general strikes on 11 and 14 May 2012 during which violent clashes broke out between youths who had erected barricades, and security forces, resulting in at least 28 arrests and a number of injured. 5. On 17 August 2012, as part of an attempt at mediation, the State institutions1 submitted three proposals for the restructuring of the institutional framework for elections to the President, who opted for a partial reconstitution of the Independent National Electoral Commission. In response, the opposition coalitions, ADP and the Collectif, organized a protest march in Conakry on 27 August, despite the ban by the authorities, 1 4 The State institutions consist of the National Transition Council (legislative body), the Economic and Social Council and the National Communications Council. GE.13-10258