A/HRC/19/40 by security forces in an unaccountable and discriminatory way could never be justifiable. Nor could State sovereignty be a justification for violating human rights. Stifling peaceful protests with brutal force in the alleged interest of restoring peace, order and security could not be a successful solution in the long term. 48. Likewise, it was recalled that peaceful demonstrators had the responsibility to guarantee that the legitimate expression of their opinion would not jeopardize the safety of others and of their own. To that end, it was suggested that channels of communication between the authorities and civic leaders should be developed. The positive obligation of States to facilitate peaceful protest was also raised, notably the importance of maintaining proper structures to ensure that legitimate protesters could make themselves heard. Furthermore, a call was made that domestic legislation that unduly and significantly restricted the exercise of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly must be immediately repealed. When legislation was in accordance with international law instruments, it should be properly implemented. 49. Some delegations raised the issue of accountability for human rights violations committed in the context of peaceful protests and the need to conduct thorough and independent investigations to combat impunity and dissuade the recurrence of such acts. The issue of access to and the effectiveness of public complaints mechanisms for any violent acts was raised and illustrated by some States’ experience. 50. Some delegations stressed the need to enhance the capacity of law enforcement authorities, which could lead to preventing human rights violations by minimizing the use of force. The necessity for Member States to incorporate into their national legislation soft law provisions on policing peaceful protests for law enforcement officials was raised. The need to provide human rights training to law enforcement authorities in charge of handling peaceful protests, which should be consistent with the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, was also raised. To that end, support from the international community in preparing a State to appropriately handle a situation of peaceful protests was mentioned and relevant Human Rights Council mechanisms, treaty bodies, and relevant United Nations bodies and agencies were urged to provide advice and technical assistance upon request of States on how to enhance national capacity in dealing with specific situations of protests. 51. A number of references were made to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who, in his report on protecting the right to life in the context of policing assemblies (A/HRC/17/28), notably recommended that an international process be undertaken to work towards a more comprehensive codification of assembly law, including the use of force during demonstrations. 52. Some delegations also highlighted the important role played by social media in the context of peaceful protests. It was stated that all basic systems of communications, including the Internet, mobile phones, satellite channels and others should be recognized as basic vehicles through which freedom of assembly and association took place. The free flow of information or the effective use of social media to organize should not be stopped, notably through resorting to blanket restrictions on speech or on the use of the Internet or social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Blackberry. In that connection, the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression presented to the Council’s seventeenth session on key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kind through the Internet (A/HRC/17/27) was found highly pertinent during the panel discussion. However, some delegations warned against the misuse of social media, which in recent social turmoil could become problematic. They believed that the issue of addressing the negative impact of social media while making the best use of it was a common problem faced and considered by all countries. 14