A/HRC/34/41 70. Furthermore, during the Afghanistan-European Union human rights dialogue held in Kabul on 1 June 2016, the Government committed itself to instructing the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to respect freedom of expression and protect human rights defenders. Subsequently, the Ministry of the Interior and the National Directorate of Security issued instructions to their personnel on respect for freedom of expression; the Ministry of Defence, however, has not yet done so. The Government also committed itself to establishing, by the end of 2016, a mechanism for sharing information among security ministries on threats against journalists and members of civil society. Although the Ministry of the Interior has not yet complied, such information-sharing on individual cases has occurred during the past year. X. Cooperation with United Nations human rights mechanisms 71. From 11 to 20 November 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons visited Afghanistan with the joint support of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and OHCHR. At the end of his mission, the Special Rapporteur issued a statement urging national and international actors to demonstrate consistency in addressing the situation of the hundreds of thousands of people across the country who were either newly displaced by the conflict or were facing repeated or protracted displacement. He further called for enhanced support and funding for durable solutions to the plight of the internally displaced, improved access to a national identity card and full implementation of the 2014 national policy on internally displaced persons. XI. Conclusion 72. In 2016, civilians continued to suffer the gravest impact of the conflict. UNAMA/OHCHR documented the highest levels of civilian casualties since 2009 and continued to receive reports of violence against women, torture and ill-treatment. Of particular concern was the alarming spike in child casualties, which rose by a fifth over 2015. 73. Over the past year, the Government has faced considerable obstacles owing to the deterioration in the security situation and its need to address concurrent political and economic issues. Persistent institutional weaknesses in the administration of justice and the rule of law, combined with a pervasive culture of impunity for violations and abuses, continued to have an adverse impact on the human rights situation. 74. Ensuring respect for human rights can only become a reality once perpetrators are held accountable for human rights violations. Effective accountability for violations and abuses offers the only path to ending the cycle of violence and impunity and moving towards national reconciliation and a sustainable peace. 75. Another essential component of a durable solution lies in the active and inclusive participation of all Afghans, in particular women. As the Government publically recognized in 2016, the role of women in building a lasting peace is indispensable. UNAMA/OHCHR will therefore intensify its efforts to work with the Government, civil society, the international community and other stakeholders in building a culture of respect for human rights and the protection of civilians. 15