A/HRC/30/32 National Intelligence Agency and leaders of civil society. Thirty-three participants were trained in Goma, 37 in Bukavu, 38 in Kisangani and 29 in Lubumbashi. The Joint Office also conducted awareness-raising meetings on the subject for 428 beneficiaries in Kindu, Kalemie, Matadi, Bandundu, Kinshasa, Butembo, Mbuji-Mayi, Uvira, Dungu and Bunia. B. 1. Update on national mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights National Human Rights Commission 67. Members of the National Human Rights Commission were appointed by Parliament on 1 April 2015 and confirmed by presidential decree — over two years after the enabling legislation was promulgated (March 2013). The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office had previously engaged with the human rights NGOs’ coordination committee and the President of the Parliamentarians’ Network for Human Rights, and advocated a consensual approach in nominating qualified candidates according to the Organic law and the Principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles). On 24 April 2015, the Commission adopted its internal rules and regulations, which were submitted to the Constitutional Court for review on 30 April. The Joint Office provided technical assistance to the subcommittee tasked with drafting the rules. 68. One of the 11 candidates to the National Human Rights Commission, who was not appointed, challenged the designation procedure before the Constitutional Court on 6 April 2015, arguing that the process violated several provisions of the Constitution and of the internal rules of the National Assembly. At the time of drafting, the Constitutional Court had not yet answered this claim of unconstitutionality. 2. Entités de liaison 69. No significant progress has been observed during the reporting period to ensure that the entités de liaison are operational and effective since their establishment by decree No. 09/35 of 12 August 2009 and their official launch on 17 April 2010. Despite continued efforts by the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office to advocate that the authorities make these entities fully operational at the national and provincial levels, they remain inactive. Some provincial governors complained of not having funds to implement the mechanism, while other stakeholders considered that the situation was due to lack of political will. IV. Conclusion and recommendations A. Conclusion 70. During the period under review, the human rights situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo continued to be affected by conflict and violations committed by armed groups and FARDC in the context of military operations against those groups. In the western part of the country, the human rights situation was affected by political factors, with restrictions to the political space and violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. The intervention of State agents in the repression of political opponents and other civil society actors, including excessive use of force against demonstrators, arbitrary arrests and incommunicado detention, without judicial oversight, are of serious concern, particularly in the lead-up to the upcoming electoral cycle. 17