A/HRC/27/69 Expert urges the Government to lift the suspension on ICRC activities so that it can resume its humanitarian services in the country without further delay. L. Economic and social rights 72. The Ministry of Welfare and Social Security of the Sudan is doing very good work in pursuance of its mandate to reduce poverty and provide welfare for the people, especially through its Zakat Chambers and other initiatives for the economic empowerment of women, the disabled and the very poor. Nevertheless, poverty continues to be an issue of concern, especially for IDPs in conflict-affected areas. There are noticeable inequalities in terms of access to education, sanitation, clean water and a wide gap in income opportunities between people living in rural settings and those in urban settings. People in rural settings continually complained about their limited access to basic needs and services as well as their limited ability to provide for themselves and their families. 73. Based on academic research linking deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights to escalation of conflict,7 it is important that the problem be addressed. With regard to Darfur, there is a need for the effective and timely implementation of the development projects under the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, which are currently hampered by the financial constraints and limited technical capacity of the Darfur Regional Authority. Effective implementation of the grass-roots development projects under the Doha Document would go a long way to alleviate poverty and improve the situation of economic, social and cultural rights in the Darfur region. VII. Technical assistance and capacity-building 74. During the reporting period, UNAMID and UNDP provided different forms of technical assistance and capacity-building to government institutions such as the police, the justice sector, the legislature, the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, as well as civil society organizations in different parts of the Sudan. In view of the subsisting human rights challenges, there is a need for continued technical assistance and capacity-building for the different institutions and civil society organizations in the country. 75. It is necessary to continue strengthening and working with relevant institutions such as: the Advisory Council for Human Rights; the National Commission for Human Rights; the Human Rights Committee of the National Assembly; the Unit for Combating Violence against Women and Children; the National Council for Child Welfare; the Family and Child Protection Unit of the Police Force; the Women’s Centre for Human Rights in the Ministry of Welfare and Social Security; the Committee on Human Rights Education in the Ministry of Education; the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Crimes in Darfur; the judiciary — including the Constitutional Court; the police; the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission; the Commission for Refugees, as well as the different local civil society organizations, for the long-term improvement of the situation of human rights in the Sudan. 76. In view of the important role of peace in the realization of practical improvements to the human rights situation in the Sudan, particularly in the conflict areas, the Independent Expert commends the decision of the European Union in July 2014 to enhance its support for projects concerning peacebuilding in the Sudan, and its allocation of 13.5 million euros 7 18 See, for example, Oskar N.T. Thoms and James Ron, “Do human rights violations cause internal conflict?”, Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 29 (2007), pp. 674–705.