A/HRC/45/49 11. Bills on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities and on the fundamental principles of the protection and promotion of the rights of the indigenous pygmy peoples were considered at the parliamentary session of March 2020. The Joint Office provided technical and financial support for the process. However, the reading of bills on the protection and responsibilities of human rights defenders, laying down measures to implement the right to protest, and on access to information has not progressed significantly. 2. Action taken by the Joint Human Rights Office 12. The Joint Office continued its work of documenting and monitoring human rights violations in respect of democratic space and calling on the authorities to release victims of arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention. On 31 March 2020, the Joint Office wrote to the Ministry of the Interior, Security and Customary Affairs, the Ministry of Human Rights and the Commissioner General of the Congolese national police to inform them about human rights violations committed in the context of the measures introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Joint Office continued its work with the judicial authorities, including through the committee monitoring the COVID-19 situation in prisons. It also cooperated with the Ministries of Health and Gender to boost support for victims of sexual violence committed during the state of emergency. In collaboration with United Nations police, the Joint Office held training sessions for officers of the Congolese national police and upper management of the Directorate General for Migration on respecting human rights during the state of emergency. 13. Regarding individual protection, the Joint Office provided legal support and multifaceted assistance to at least 435 human rights defenders, 48 journalists and 32 other victims and witnesses of violations, including 48 women. It also supported the call issued by civil society organizations for the adoption of provincial edicts on the protection of human rights defenders in Kinshasa and Kasai Central. B. Protection of civilians in conflict areas 14. In its concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Human Rights Committee urged the Government to take measures to protect civilians in areas of armed conflict and internally displaced persons (CCPR/C/COD/CO/4, para. 26). It also called on the Government to cooperate fully with all United Nations entities in dealing with allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law in the Kasai region (para. 28). 15. In its concluding observations on the combined third to fifth periodic reports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Committee on the Rights of the Child urged the Government to take measures to protect children from falling victim to armed conflict or participating in armed hostilities and to punish those involved in killing, maiming and recruiting children (CRC/C/COD/CO/3-5, para. 18). 1. Current situation and action taken by the Government 16. Most of the human rights violations and abuses documented in the country (94.5 per cent) were committed in conflict areas. Overall, their number considerably increased compared with the previous reporting period, from 5,258 cases to 7,359, with armed groups being the main perpetrators. As at 30 May 2020, at least 5.1 million people were internally displaced and at least 880,000 had fled to other African countries. 17. Half of the human rights violations and abuses documented during the reporting period were committed in the Province of North Kivu. Of those, 73 per cent were committed by armed groups, including the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda, Nyatura and Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové, while the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo committed over 15 per cent. At least 1,037 civilians, including 259 women and 78 children, were the victims of extrajudicial or arbitrary executions. The most affected territory was Nyiragongo, where the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda committed 68 per cent of the human rights abuses, or 30 per cent more than in the previous reporting period. In 4 GE.20-11014