A/HRC/30/33 I. Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council, in resolution A/HRC/RES/27/27 of 26 September 2014, called upon the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to commission a study on the impact of technical assistance and capacity-building on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2. Based on a review of the action taken by the United Nations and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with respect to the promotion and protection of human rights, the study evaluates the progress achieved as a result of these activities, as well as its limits with regard to the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It covers the period from 2008 to 2014, with the beginning of the year 2008 marking the start of the first United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) with a post-crisis perspective after the presidential election of 2006. 3. The study aims to measure the following elements:  The relevance of action taken by the international community with respect to human rights;  The effectiveness of such action in terms of results;  The impact of technical assistance on the enjoyment of human rights;  The inclusion of gender mainstreaming in all areas. II. Scope of the study 4. The study takes into account the 2008-2012 cycle and half of the 2013-2017 cycle of UNDAF, the country programmes of the different specialized institutions of the United Nations and those of international NGOs. 5. It should be noted that UNDAF is aligned to the Government’s priorities with respect to governance and human rights as outlined in the national Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (GPRSP). 6. The priorities with respect to human rights, which are set out in the 2006 and the 2011-2015 GPRSPs, are the following: improving the legal framework and access to justice; training magistrates and court officers and creating a national judicial training college; establishing an institution for the coordination of human rights affairs; disseminating human rights conventions; improving conditions of detention; improving the protection of vulnerable groups; and ensuring better management and development of natural resources. 7. Four main themes emerge from the programme documents of some stakeholders and from meetings with them and with the national authorities; they group the main aspects of work related to human rights in the country: GE.15-14279  Supporting the administration of justice in order to combat impunity;  Strengthening the national system for the protection of human rights and collaboration with international human rights mechanisms;  Protecting civilians in armed conflict;  Promoting economic and social rights. 5/19