A/HRC/24/32 in circumstances where it was not required by law. Communities indicated that they preferred to inform the authorities, even if it was not legally required, rather than have their gathering disrupted. In order to improve the situation, OHCHR in collaboration with the East-West Management Institute conducted training with the participation of human rights defenders, including evicted communities, forestry and fishery associations, nongovernmental organizations and trade unions, on the provisions of the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations and its official implementation guide. OHCHR also disseminated, in collaboration with the Institute, a reporting form to be used by civil society organizations in order to systematically monitor and adequately report and advocate on violations related to their right to peaceful assembly, in particular with regard to the implementation of the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations. The Office also continued to offer cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior in raising awareness among civil servants on how to apply the Law on Peaceful Demonstrations in a manner consistent with the country’s international human rights obligations. 47. In addition, the OHCHR Fundamental Freedoms and Civil Society Programme enhanced the capacity of human rights defenders, including trade unionists, to systematically and adequately monitor and report human rights violations, and to advocate with the authorities or other relevant actors on such situations. The sessions engaged 114 activists from 10 provinces. In November 2012, OHCHR conducted a workshop on the permissible restrictions in relation to the freedom of expression under international human rights law with the support of an expert from the Human Rights Committee. The event was focused on exploring with civil society permissible exceptions to the respect for the right to freedom of expression in Cambodia. 48. OHCHR regularly mediated between authorities and communities or civil society organizations to ensure that gatherings could take place peacefully and in conformity with the provisions of domestic and international human rights law. In order to create a sustainable approach to peaceful gatherings, the Office embarked on a series of provincial round tables at which provincial officials and civil society representatives could discuss their concerns over freedom of assembly and come to an agreed position for the handling of future events in conformity with the law. This was particularly effective during Human Rights Day 2012, when the Office intervened to ensure the peaceful holding of events by communities. 49. Where prior mediation was not possible, the Office monitored demonstrations, marches and other gatherings where there was a risk of violence between protesters and authorities. During the period under review, OHCHR monitored 22 such events in Phnom Penh alone. The aim of the Office’s involvement was to reduce the risk of violence while striving to ensure that the rights to freedom of assembly and of expression were respected. OHCHR worked with the authorities and protest leaders to secure agreement (where possible) to allow protests to be held peacefully. Examples during the period under review included the protests outside Phnom Penh Municipal Court during the trial of Mam Sonando in September 2012, and attempts by the ASEAN Grassroots Peoples Assembly to present a petition to the Cambodian National Assembly prior to the seventh East Asia Summit, held in November 2012. 50. Where protests turned violent, OHCHR tries to calm the situation. While such efforts met with little success during the period under review, The visible presence of OHCHR appeared to dissuade any escalation. Private security guards were still being used during the period under review to respond to protests; in a number of instances, excessive force was also used. A new and disturbing development witnessed was the introduction and use of electrified riot shields by police in crowd control situations. The Office also intervened where protesters were detained, notably in relation to land disputes, garment workers protests, and trade unionists. OHCHR aimed to seek the release of detainees where 13