A/HRC/33/36 I. Introduction 1. Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 30/26 of 2 October 2015 on technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the present report provides an overview of the situation of human rights and the activities carried out in the country by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), through the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office, between June 2015 and May 2016. 2. The present report highlights the main human rights developments and assesses the progress made in implementing the recommendations of OHCHR and the United Nations human rights mechanisms. II. Main human rights developments 3. During the reporting period, considerable progress was observed, particularly at the legislative and institutional levels. On 2 January 2016, the President of the Republic promulgated legislation on the implementation of the Rome Statute and, on 28 September 2015, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The High Commissioner welcomes the fact that the members of the National Human Rights Commission took office on 23 July 2015. He also notes some progress in the fight against impunity, including the conviction of a senior superintendent of the Congolese national police (PNC) for acts constituting crimes against humanity committed by personnel under his command. 4. The human rights situation remains of serious concern throughout the country, however. The east — particularly the conflict-affected areas — remains marked by the greatest number of human rights violations and abuses, principally committed by members of more than 30 armed groups, but also by soldiers of the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) in military operations against these groups. 5. In the western provinces, steadily growing restrictions on the political space have been observed throughout the reporting period, including offences against freedom of expression, opinion, association and peaceful assembly, mainly in provinces where opposition parties and civil society are particularly active. PNC members and FARDC soldiers have applied excessive force and have resorted to the use of lethal weapons during the suppression of demonstrations and other gatherings. Arbitrary arrest and detention, incommunicado detention of protesters and political opponents, including persons who had announced their candidatures for the upcoming presidential election and of human rights defenders, journalists and other civil society representatives, are also cause for concern. A. Fundamental freedoms and protection of human rights defenders, journalists and political opponents 6. The Human Rights Committee recommended that the Government guarantee freedom of speech and of the press and other media, in conformity with article 19 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1 and that any restriction on press and media activities be strictly compatible with the Covenant. The Committee requested the Government to ensure that the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are respected 1 4 CCPR/C/COD/CO/3, para. 22. GE.16-13984