A/HRC/13/63 page 5 I. INTRODUCTION 1. This report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 10/33 inviting six special procedure mandate holders and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict to report again on the development of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is submitted by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights of internally displaced persons, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children and armed conflict (hereafter “the experts”). 2. Highlighting the seriousness of the present human rights situation, the experts explore in the report the extent to which the recommendations made in their initial report have been implemented.1 II. ENGAGEMENT BY THE SEVEN THEMATIC SPECIAL PROCEDURES WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS A. Letters sent to the Government and other stakeholders 3. To follow up the recommendations made in their initial report, on 23 and 24 September 2009, the experts sent letters to the Congolese authorities, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 1. To the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 4. The experts requested that the Minister for Human Rights provide information on the steps taken by the national authorities to implement the recommendations contained in the combined report, in particular: 1 - The establishment of a comprehensive and adequately resourced secondary screening mechanism, where each officer is vetted for his or her past human rights record and subjected to a determination of his or her ability to command in accordance with principles of international humanitarian law and the values embodied in the Constitution; - The drafting and adoption of a national law on the protection of human rights defenders, including women defenders; - The drafting and adoption of a legislative framework and plan of action for internally displaced persons; A/HRC/10/59.