A/HRC/19/40 58. Ms. Khaw, noted the obligation of Member States to maintain public security and order, but was concerned by inconsistent State practices in not allowing peaceful protests. Often there was a lack of transparency in issuing permits (where required) for peaceful assembly. It was essential that authorities acted in good faith, in a timely, non-selective and reasonable manner when there was request to peacefully assemble. There was also a need for the authorities to use reasonable, non-violent and proportionate methods in dealing with violence if it occurred during peaceful assemblies. In that respect, there should be guidelines on the exercise of measures to contain any violence which might occur. She added that there was a role for national human rights institutions to mediate, monitor and deal with any violations during and in the aftermath of demonstrations. Lastly, there should be guidelines on how recommendations by national human rights institutions should be acted upon by the relevant authorities. 59. Mr. Hassan, stated that the discussion had confirmed the need for the Human Rights Council to establish an overall framework that would regulate the work of the United Nations human rights system in dealing with the issue of peaceful protests. He stressed that, although all Arab countries which had undergone recent uprisings had ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, brutal and widespread repression had taken place; and that the relevant national human rights laws in the Arab region for dealing with public protests were not derived from human rights law. The Council should have a single standard to deal with human rights in the context of peaceful protests to avoid politicization or double standards. Concerning the issue of how to promote national dialogue between the State and protestors, in some countries non-governmental organizations and political parties existed only on paper and therefore no dialogue could take place, notably in the six countries where the uprisings had taken place. 60. The President of the Human Rights Council concluded by stating that the discussion had been very fruitful, of extreme interest and greatly topical. 16