A/72/53/Add.1 13. Encourages the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their political affiliation, can participate freely in public affairs and that they fully enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly; 14. Also encourages the Government to ensure equitable political participation for all, and to create the conditions necessary for the holding of free, transparent, inclusive and peaceful elections without further delay, in particular in view of the legislative and presidential elections; 15. Welcomes the efforts made by the United Nations, the International Organization of la Francophonie and the European Union to ensure the credibility and the stabilization of the electoral roll; 16. Also welcomes the launch in Kananga on 19 September 2017 by President Joseph Kabila Kabange of a forum on peace, reconciliation and development in the Grand Kasai; 17. Invites the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve and increase the participation of women in the political and administrative domains, and notes with appreciation the legislative measures already taken in the framework of the amendments to the Family Code and of the law on the parity of men and women; 18. Welcomes the establishment by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo of an interministerial commission to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the context of the implementation of its five-year (2016-2021) plan for the promotion and protection of the rights of disabled persons, adopted on 20 and 21 May 2016; 19. Also welcomes the enactment of a law, on 10 March 2017, amending the Code of Military Justice for the implementation of the Rome Statute, and notes the validation, in May 2017, of the plan of justice reform, prepared in accordance with the recommendations made at the conference convened in 2015 on the evaluation of justice sector reform; 20. Encourages the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to provide greater protection for all political actors, members of civil society, journalists and human rights defenders during elections, and to ensure respect for all human rights; 21. Stresses the importance of releasing all persons detained arbitrarily, including human rights defenders and persons of different political affiliations, of transferring detainees from the National Intelligence Agency to regular detention centres, and of granting unlimited access by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office to centres under the responsibility of the Agency, and in this respect calls upon the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to fulfil promptly its commitment to eliminate Agency detention facilities; 22. Requests all stakeholders in the electoral process to reject all forms of violence and to abstain from any discourse inciting racial, tribal or ethnic hatred; 23. Calls upon the Government and all relevant institutions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take all additional measures necessary to prevent all violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to conduct thorough investigations into all acts of violence and violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of human rights so that all perpetrators, whatever their affiliation, are brought to justice; 24. Emphasizes the individual responsibility of all stakeholders, including State officials, and leaders of the political parties of the government majority and the opposition, to act in strict compliance with the rule of law and human rights; 25. Encourages the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to continue in its commitment to its cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office, and the Human Rights Council and its special procedures; 26. Commends the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the establishment and operationalization of the National Human Rights Commission, in accordance with the 84 GE.17-18194