A/HRC/24/33 III. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 57. The period under review was marked by an escalation in armed conflict in the east and a resulting dramatic increase in the number of human rights violations. The Democratic Republic of the Congo still faces major challenges in implementing the recommendations made by United Nations human rights mechanisms and OHCHR, for two main reasons: lack of capacity, and the limited engagement of the Government to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses to account. It is essential that the Government establish reliable vetting mechanisms to ensure that human rights abusers are not maintained within or integrated into the security forces. Without background checks on individuals wishing to join FARDC or measures to enforce discipline and to hold human rights abusers to account, all initiatives by the Government and its partners to reform the security sector are significantly undermined if not doomed to failure. 58. As stated by the High Commissioner in her previous reports, despite some progress in prosecuting some high-profile perpetrators, the criminal justice system remains structurally weak. The lack of independence of the judiciary continued to be observed, in particular when dealing with cases of political opponents and members of civil society. In addition, current initiatives in the field of transitional justice should be coordinated to ensure their complementarity and to avoid creating contradictions and legal loopholes. 59. The High Commissioner welcomes the steps taken by the Government to implement some of the recommendations made by United Nations human rights mechanisms and her Office, including progress towards establishing the national human rights commission, and commends the Government’s collaboration with the Joint Human Rights Office and United Nations human rights machinery. B. Recommendations 60. The High Commissioner recommends that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: (a) Speed up reform of the justice sector, including by increasing budget allocations, and establish the judicial and non-judicial mechanisms necessary to redress the massive human rights abuses committed throughout the country; (b) Establish, as a matter of utmost urgency, adequate vetting mechanisms as part of security sector reform; (c) Ensure that the future national human rights commission is provided with appropriate financial and logistical capacity support needed for its effective functioning, in accordance with the Paris Principles; (d) Increase budget allocations to health, education and social services in order to improve the living conditions of the Congolese people in view of the realization of their economic, social and cultural rights; (e) Create, in accordance with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and with the assistance of the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and Other 17