A/HRC/30/30 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to Council resolution 24/29. It describes the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Cambodia from 1 June 2014 to 30 June 2015 and follows up on the previous report submitted to the Council (A/HRC/27/43). 2. Originally mandated by the Commission on Human Rights resolution 1993/6, the work of OHCHR in Cambodia is guided by a biennial resolution of the Human Rights Council (24/29), a biennial Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Government of Cambodia,1 and the global mandate of the High Commissioner as set out by the General Assembly in its resolution 48/141. OHCHR looks forward to initiating discussions with the Government on the renewal of its mandate. 3. The period under review opened with the Government and opposition still at a political stalemate. The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party refused to take the seats that it had won in the National Assembly in the election held in 2013, the official results of which it continued to contest. The Government had prohibited large-scale demonstrations. In July 2014, the opposition abandoned its demand for an independent investigation in to the election or for a re-election on the condition that the Government committed to key reforms, particularly electoral reform. The opposition subsequently occupied its seats in the National Assembly in August 2014, giving rise to a new bipartisan political climate characterized by a “culture of dialogue” between the two parties. A national electoral committee, with equal representation of both parties and one independent member, was reconstituted. 4. The human rights context normalized in the first half of 2015 following the easing of political tensions. Small-scale protests were tolerated, although were not entirely free of shows of force. Housing and land disputes continued to be the root cause of most protests and human rights violations in the country, such as infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement, and violations of economic, social and cultural rights, including of indigenous peoples. New pronouncements by the Government that it would review and, if deemed necessary, revoke some economic land concessions, however, gave reason for hope that some of these long-standing disputes would finally be resolved. 5. OHCHR followed closely the above-mentioned incidents, including housing and land disputes, ensuing protests and the responses to them involving the use of force, blockage of peaceful assemblies and resulting arrests, and violations of the rights of indigenous peoples. OHCHR sought remedial actions from duty bearers, monitored trials and the treatment of those held in detention, and advocated for the establishment or strengthening of national mechanisms and institutions for the protection of human rights. In partnership with the Ministry of the Interior and with the participation of local authorities, security forces, communities and civil society organizations, OHCHR organized a number of dialogues at the sub-national level in localities subjected to a high degree of social tension, with the aim of improving communication on the causes of conflict and of finding solutions thereto. 1 2 The current Memorandum of Understanding covers the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2015.