A/HRC/RES/28/23 including the military, under a democratically elected, fully representative civilian government; 3. Recalls the earlier release of prisoners of conscience, stresses the important role played by the Committee for Scrutinizing the Remaining Prisoners of Conscience, encourages the continuation of the work of the newly constituted Prisoners of Conscience Affairs Committee and the incorporation of broader representation from the political prisoners’ community, and urges the Government of Myanmar to fulfil its commitment to the unconditional release of all remaining political prisoners, including all political activists, journalists, human rights defenders and peaceful protesters recently detained or convicted, and to provide for the full rehabilitation of former prisoners of conscience; 4 Calls upon the Government of Myanmar to implement its obligations to protect the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, to allow for free and independent media and to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders and their freedom to pursue their activities, and to maintain particular vigilance to ensure that these freedoms and the operating space for civil society are fully protected in the approach to the elections; 5. Encourages the Government of Myanmar to ensure that the National Human Rights Commission is able to discharge its functions fully and in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles); 6. Urges the Government of Myanmar to step up its efforts to end all remaining human rights violations and abuses, including arbitrary arrest and detention, forced displacement, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, arbitrary deprivation of property, including land, and violations of international humanitarian law in some parts of the country, and repeats its call upon the Government to take the measures necessary to ensure accountability and to end impunity; 7. Encourages the Government of Myanmar to take further steps to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, welcomes the ongoing efforts aimed at reviewing and reforming legislation, including the Constitution, stresses the need for and the relevance of such reforms, recalls the importance of ensuring their compatibility with international standards and democratic principles, and calls upon the Government and political actors to continue legal reform, to address the need for an independent, impartial and effective judiciary and an independent and self-governing professional organization of lawyers, and to consider ratifying additional international instruments, including international human rights conventions, and incorporating them into national legislation; 8. Urges the Government of Myanmar to accelerate its efforts to address discrimination, human rights violations, incitement to violence, acts of violence, displacement and economic deprivation affecting members of ethnic and religious minorities, to take all measures necessary to prevent attacks against Muslims and members of other minorities and to hold actors who incite and commit violence accountable, calls upon the Government to ensure the right to vote, freedom of movement and equal access to services, including health and education, and also calls upon the Government to ensure that any legislation on the protection of race and religion is consistent with the transition towards national reconciliation and an open democratic society, and fully consistent with international human rights treaties to which Myanmar is a party; 9. Expresses concern at the increase in nationalist-based intolerance of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as of the United Nations and other international organizations, urges the Government of Myanmar and political leaders to publicly condemn 2