A/HRC/30/60 attended a forum on the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. He also met with representatives of civil society organizations, human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations, some of whom shared their personal experiences with him. He met with members of the diplomatic community, representatives of opposition political parties and staff members and students of the University of Khartoum, from whom he received valuable information on the human rights situation in the country. 8. In Northern Darfur, the Independent Expert met with a representative of the Darfur Regional Authority, the Governor of the State of Northern Darfur, the Special Prosecutor for Crimes in Darfur and officials of UNAMID and United Nations agencies in Northern Darfur. In Southern Darfur, he held a meeting with the Governor of Southern Darfur State and his team, as well as with officials of UNAMID. He also visited three camps for internally displaced persons, namely, the Abou Shouk camp in Northern Darfur and the Otash and Dereige camps in Southern Darfur, where he witnessed the deplorable living conditions of the residents. 9. During his visit, the Independent Expert reiterated the scope of his mandate to the Government and all relevant stakeholders. As explained by the previous mandate holder (see A/HRC/21/62), the Government of the Sudan continues to hold the position that since the mandate of the Independent Expert is no longer under the Human Rights Council agenda item 4 (“Human rights situation that requires the Council’s attention”) but rather under item 10 (“Technical assistance and capacity-building”), no reporting or monitoring on any element of human rights was required. For their part, other national and international stakeholders expressed the view that the mandate includes assessment of and reporting on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, essential to the formulation of realistic and workable technical advice for a gradual and effective improvement in that situation. 10. The Independent Expert confirms his understanding that the mandate does indeed come under agenda item 10, and that it includes the responsibility to assess and report on the situation of human rights in view of making sound recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building. This was underscored by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 27/29, in which the Council renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert to continue “to assess, verify and report on the situation of human rights with the view to make recommendations on technical assistance and capacity-building for addressing human rights in the country.” This mandate enables the Government of the Sudan to take ownership in supporting the implementation of the recommendations. It also enables the donor community to provide additional targeted financial support and the technical expertise needed to address the human rights challenges in the country. 11. The Independent Expert notes with satisfaction that the Government has endorsed his understanding and analysis of the scope of the mandate, which enabled his engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including the donor community, leaders of the political opposition and others civil society actors. He also points out that the Government showed its willingness to continue to cooperate with the Human Rights Council in order to fulfil its human rights obligations. In all his meetings with the Government, the Independent Expert received assurances of cooperation with the mechanism he represents. Nonetheless, he remains concerned by assessment given by Sudan officials of the human rights situation in the country that appears not to take into account the deteriorating environment. 4