A/HRC/27/69 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 24/28 of 8 October 2013, in which the Council renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan and requested him to continue his engagement with the Government of the Sudan and to submit a report to the Council at its twentyseventh session in September 2014. The Council also urged the Government to continue its cooperation with the Independent Expert, including by granting him access to the entire country, in particular the States of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, in order to assess and verify the human rights situation in the country, determine the technical assistance needs and report on his findings. 2. The report covers the period from October 2013 to July 2014. It provides an appraisal of the human rights situation in the Sudan during the reporting period, focusing principally on the need to enhance the protection of human rights on the ground and the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Independent Expert’s previous report (A/HRC/24/31) presented to the Human Rights Council in September 2013. It gives a list of communications sent to the Government during the reporting period, assesses the implementation of the recommendations contained in the previous report and outlines the subsisting human rights challenges in the country. It also identifies necessary technical assistance and capacity-building needs and provides a list of recommendations, addressed to the Government of the Sudan, the international community, civil society organizations and the armed movements in the Sudan, for the improvement of the human rights situation in the country. 3. In compliance with the code of conduct for special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, a draft of the report was shared with the Government of the Sudan to provide it with the opportunity to comment on the findings and observations of the Independent Expert.1 4. The Independent Expert thanks the Government of the Sudan for its cooperation and support in the implementation of his mandate. During the reporting period, the Government granted access and facilitated the Independent Expert’s visits to Khartoum, North Darfur, East Darfur, Central Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile States. Although the Independent Expert requested to visit the Khor Abeche internally displaced person (IDP) camp in South Darfur and Kassala State in East Sudan during his mission in June 2014, travel authorizations to those areas were not granted by the Government owing to security and administrative constraints. 5. The Independent Expert also thanks the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), other United Nations agencies and international relief organizations operating in the Sudan, members of the diplomatic community, civil society organizations and all other groups and individuals who provided assistance and shared information with him. II. Methodology and engagements 6. The Independent Expert undertook two missions to the Sudan during the reporting period. He visited Khartoum, Kadugli in South Kordofan State, El-Fasher in North Darfur 1 See A/HRC/27/69/Add.1. 3