A/HRC/13/8 Government had expressed its willingness to work towards implementation of a special framework for the protection of human rights defenders setting forth rights and obligations in accordance with the 1998 Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Journalists and human rights defenders whose rights had been violated were urged to take judicial action. There was a regular framework for consultation and dialogue between the Government and civil society. 18. As to the abolition of the death penalty, the delegation stated that under the Constitution the death penalty had been abolished. A bill amending the Criminal Code to explicitly repeal the death penalty was before the National Assembly. No death sentence had been carried out for over seven years. 19. With regard to the reform of the army and the police, draft legislation had been debated in plenary and was being aligned in committee. 20. The reform of the Criminal Code was under way, as was the prison system reform. Provincial governments had been delegated responsibility for managing the situation in prisons. With assistance from its partners, the Government had begun building new prisons and setting up prison farms. 21. Access to persons subject to administrative detention measures, under judicial supervision, did not present any problem when procedures were followed. The difficulties met would be discussed in the “Entité de Liaison des Droits de l’Homme” at the national and provincial levels. 22. According to the delegation, press freedom was guaranteed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and was administered in accordance with the law. As to the isolated (not systematic) cases of murders of journalists, which the Democratic Republic of the Congo condemned, it was up to the judicial system, which was independent, to do its work properly. 23. With regard to the improvement of economic and social rights, the delegation emphasized that employment, housing, health, education, and water and electricity were the priorities that formed the focus of the Government’s action under its “five priorities” drive and the growth and poverty-reduction strategy. 24. The Democratic Republic of the Congo urged the international community to support its efforts to reach completion point in the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, which would enable it to cancel its debt in mid-2010 and thus better promote human rights. 25. With regard to rational management of natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was making efforts to regulate the sector through a policy of transparency and was renegotiating mining contracts with due regard for the mining code and regulations. A similar process was under way with the conversion of titles to forest land in consultation with the indigenous and local populations. 26. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was now formally cooperating with seven special procedures and was open to any other special rapporteurs who so requested, as with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who had recently visited the country, and the independent expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of all human rights, who was to be invited during 2010. 27. The delegation urged the international community to continue its assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the full restoration of peace in the country, to mobilize more resources and to integrate human rights concerns in all cooperation initiatives. GE.10-10154 5