A/HRC/16/27 operating licences were granted to the media, and on 12 October 2010 Radio France Internationale was allowed to broadcast throughout Congolese territory again after a year’s suspension. However, developments like this — encouraging though they may be — are pointless if the press is not absolutely free and independent in its work. 43. The protection of victims and witnesses, especially those who dare to file a complaint or testify in cases involving State officials or powerful individuals, is also weak. I am concerned about the reports of threats against the dozens of women raped in Walikale who agreed to cooperate with the military courts,27 and call on the authorities to provide, with the help of the international community, protection for all victims and witnesses in the investigations. Actions taken by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office 44. The Joint Human Rights Office has closely followed the cases of journalists, human rights defenders and the victims and witnesses of rights violations. For example, between January and September 2010, it dealt with over 120 cases of protection from all over the country. Some individuals received assistance under the protection programme for victims and witnesses of human rights violations, while some journalists and human rights defenders who had received threats in the course of their work received assistance financed by the fund managed by the Joint Human Rights Office and Avocats sans frontières. With help from NGOs, a protection network takes protective measures, defends the people concerned, publicly reports threats, alerts the authorities, gives practical advice on protection and relocates victims inside the country. 45. The Joint Human Rights Office has continued to train NGOs and journalists in the field of human rights and individual protection. Awareness-raising activities for officials have also been carried out, to draw the authorities’ attention to the intimidation of victims, witnesses, journalists and human rights defenders, and to highlight the need to protect them. Obstacles to the implementation of existing recommendations 46. The obstacles to improving the situation are the same as those mentioned in my previous report (A/HRC/13/64, para. 36). Human rights defenders, journalists, victims and witnesses whose rights have been violated often do not wish to file a complaint for fear of reprisals, which encourages further violations. They will remain vulnerable until a law specifically aimed at their protection is adopted and followed up with practical measures. As the presidential and parliamentary elections draw near in 2011, it is vital that the role of the media and human rights defenders, and their contribution to the democratic process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is understood and respected by all parties, from government and opposition alike. F. Administration of justice and impunity 47. It was previously recommended that the Democratic Republic of the Congo should strengthen its judicial system and law enforcement and that Parliament should bring legislation into line with international standards, giving priority to the adoption of fundamental laws to reform the judicial system. It was also recommended that the Government should ensure that the military courts restrict themselves to trying members of the military for military offences, in accordance with the applicable international norms.28 27 28 GE.11-10197 See para. 4 of this report. See footnote 1. 13