A/HRC/RES/42/28 4. Urges all States to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisal, both online and offline, against those who: (a) Seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, or who have provided testimony or information to them; (b) Avail or have availed themselves of procedures established under the auspices of the United Nations for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose; (c) Submit or have submitted communications under procedures established by human rights instruments, and all those who have provided legal or other assistance to them for this purpose; (d) Are relatives of victims of human rights violations or of those who have provided legal or other assistance to victims; 5. Urges States to take all appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of acts of intimidation or reprisal, whether online or offline, including, where necessary, by adopting and implementing specific legislation and policies to promote a safe and enabling environment for engagement with the United Nations on human rights and to effectively protect those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights from any act of intimidation or reprisal; 6. Also urges States to ensure accountability for any act of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, to provide access to effective remedies for victims in accordance with their international human rights obligations and commitments, and to prevent any recurrence; 7. Calls upon States to combat impunity by conducting prompt, impartial and independent investigations and pursuing accountability for all acts of intimidation or reprisal by State and non-State actors against any individual or group who seeks to cooperate, cooperates or has cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, and by condemning publicly all such acts, underlining that these can never be justified; 8. Encourages States to provide information, as appropriate, to the Human Rights Council on all measures taken by them to prevent and address acts of intimidation or reprisal against those who seek to cooperate, cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, including on cases mentioned in the reports of the Secretary-General; 9. Stresses that information provided by all stakeholders, including civil society, to the United Nations and its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights should be credible and reliable, and must be thoroughly checked and corroborated; 10. Invites the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with adequate resources to prevent and address allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal in the most effective and genderresponsive manner, including by ensuring a safe and enabling environment for all those who seek to cooperate with the United Nations on human rights, including the Human Rights Council, its special procedures, the treaty bodies and other human rights mechanisms or United Nations forums; 11. Encourages the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights to continue efforts to develop and implement at the United Nations level a more comprehensive system for preventing and addressing allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisal, including by improving and coordinating the response by all United Nations actors, and in this regard calls upon all States and relevant stakeholders to contribute to these efforts; 12. Encourages the President of the Human Rights Council to continue, in consultation with the States concerned, to use his or her good offices to address as appropriate 3