A/HRC/13/64 Actions taken by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office 41. During the period under review, UNJHRO continued to support the justice system to increase the judicial response to human rights violations. It provided technical assistance to draft various laws, as well as to complete judicial reform through the establishment of high courts and the CSM. Several training courses for judicial personnel and members of civil society were also conducted by UNJHRO on, for example, the independence of the judiciary and on the ethics and professional conduct of a magistrate. UNJHRO also gave its technical support to the CSM for the development of a code of professional ethics for magistrates. In an attempt to reinforce the fight against impunity, UNJHRO is supporting the establishment of a working group on impunity led by the Minister of Justice during the justice reform process. This group will function as a technical unit of the Joint Committee for Justice Reform and will feed in ideas and facilitate needed changes. Throughout the country, UNJHRO also works daily with judicial officials. Support runs from sharing information to facilitating transport to allow for investigations needed, to building rehabilitation. As part of its efforts to assist in the fight against impunity, OHCHR also conducted a mapping exercise of the most serious violations of human rights and international law, committed within the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between March 1993 and June 2003. The deployment phase took place between October 2008 and May 2009. It will be the first and only comprehensive United Nations report documenting major human rights violations in the country covering this period, with the aim of contributing to a reversal of the trend of endless cycles of impunity. Obstacles to the implementation of existing recommendations 42. The justice sector remains dysfunctional and many of the human rights violations identified in this report are left unresolved and festering because of an inadequate judicial response. Several major problems underlie the limited progress in the administration of justice. The administration of justice is severely harmed by inadequate funding: the portion of the budget allocated to the justice system has decreased to 0.24 per cent of the 2009 national budget (compared to 0.6 per cent of the 2006 budget). The extremely low salaries and high job insecurity among magistrates make them vulnerable to pressure by political or military authorities and fosters corruption. Other issues that have to be addressed are the lack of access to justice for the majority of the population and the non-enforcement of court decisions. Inadequate offices and housing inhibit magistrates from working in the interior. G. Fight against impunity with regard to the violations committed by Congolese security forces Existing recommendations 43. The Congolese Government should firmly implement a zero tolerance policy for all human rights violations. This requires that judiciary authorities carry out thorough investigations and prosecute all members of the security forces accused of having committed serious human rights violations. Moreover, it requires that military commanders impose rigid rules of discipline. The Government should also establish a comprehensive vetting mechanism to take into account candidates’ past actions in terms of respect for international humanitarian law and human rights when they apply for official positions, with particular attention being paid to key posts in the armed forces, national police and other security services. Furthermore, to respond to human rights violations perpetrated by the FARDC in the context of military operations in North and South Kivu and Oriental Province, the Government should take appropriate action to remove army officers or units GE.10-10563 15

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