A/HRC/RES/43/38 20. Also welcomes the commitment of the Government of Mali to ensuring that women participate more fully in the national reconciliation process and in all decisionmaking bodies of the peace process, including through the appointment in September 2019 of a Government ensuring greater involvement of women, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, and to improving the political empowerment of women at all levels, as well as the organization by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, on 22 and 23 January 2020, of a national workshop for reflection on the participation of women in the implementation of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali; 21. Welcomes in addition the progress in the work of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, which has made it possible to collect more than 15,000 testimonies from victims in several regions of Mali, as well as the start of public hearings of victims on 8 December 2019, also welcomes the extension of the Commission’s mandate until December 2021 and encourages the Malian authorities to guarantee the independence and the means of the Commission, so that it can fulfil its mandate to support the victims of the crises in Mali; 22. Encourages the Malian authorities and all regional and international actors to continue making efforts to consolidate the progress made towards attaining peace and security in Mali; 23. Commends the support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali for the efforts of the Government of Mali to restore State authority and the rule of law in the country, and deplores the loss of life the Mission is experiencing; 24. Emphasizes that the efforts of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel to counter the cross-border activities of terrorist groups and other organized criminal groups will help to create a more secure environment and establish the conditions required to improve the human rights situation in Mali, also emphasizes the need to ensure that the human rights protection and accountability mechanisms are operational and commends the efforts that have been made to develop and put in place the human rights compliance framework of the Joint Force; 25. Calls upon the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel to continue its work, including by ensuring the effectiveness of its own accountability mechanisms, which are essential to making certain that each incident involving civilian victims or alleged human rights violations or abuses or violations of international humanitarian law is subject to a prompt, impartial, independent and thorough investigation, and that immediate steps are taken against the units and individuals alleged to be responsible; 26. Requests all parties to respect human rights and to ensure strict compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and welcomes in this regard the establishment of criminal investigation units composed of gendarmes, all military criminal investigation officers, within the military forces involved in counterterrorism operations; 27. Reiterates its appreciation for the humanitarian assistance already provided to civilians and urges the Government of Mali, with the continued support of the international community and in consultation with the neighbouring countries concerned, to take all appropriate measures to manage the humanitarian crisis, including severe food insecurity, with a view to providing appropriate humanitarian assistance, in conditions of security, to refugees and displaced persons, particularly in the centre and north of Mali, thereby facilitating access by the population to basic social services and establishing conditions conducive to the gradual recovery of the country; 28. Welcomes the adoption in June 2019 of a law creating a development zone for the northern regions of Mali, as well as the inclusion in the 2020 Budget Act of a setaside of US$ 67 million for the sustainable development fund, and urges the Government of Mali to speed up the re-establishment of public administration and basic services in the centre and north of the country and work to restore an acceptable level of security; 29. Requests friendly countries and partner organizations that have made pledges at successive conferences on the development of Mali to honour those pledges in order to GE.20-08933 5