A/HRC/42/32 for 550 State officials and members of the defence and security forces, in particular the army, the police and the prison authorities. 44. Through the adoption of risk mitigation measures, the implementation of the policy has led to significant progress in the fight against impunity, including the establishment of joint committees to monitor cases of human rights violations. C. Sexual violence 45. In its concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Human Rights Committee urged the Government to take all necessary measures to ensure that all cases of sexual violence are investigated and that the perpetrators are prosecuted and, if found guilty, punished. It also recommended that physical and psychological support should be provided to victims and that their access to legal services should be facilitated (CCPR/C/COD/CO/4, para. 20). 46. In its concluding observations on the combined sixth and seventh periodic reports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women called on the State to prosecute all acts of violence against women, to punish the perpetrators and to set up a comprehensive care system for victims (CEDAW/C/COD/CO/6-7, para. 22). 47. In its concluding observations on the second periodic report of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Committee against Torture recommended strengthening the capacity of judges to combat sexual violence and implementing measures to facilitate access to justice for victims (CAT/C/COD/CO/2, para. 33). 48. During the universal periodic review of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 29 April 2014, it was recommended, inter alia, that the Government should try perpetrators of sexual violence, regardless of rank; that it should take adequate measures to reduce and eradicate sexual and gender-based violence, including by improving the training of the security forces; and that it should create appropriate avenues of redress for victims (A/HRC/27/5, paras. 134.60, 134.68, 134.85 and 134.116). 1. Current situation and action taken by the Government 49. Sexual violence continues to be perpetrated on a large scale by State agents and armed group fighters. During the reporting period, at least 726 women, 234 children and 3 men were victims of conflict-related sexual violence, a significant increase over the previous reporting period. 50. Fighters from different armed groups and militias are responsible for 68 per cent of the documented cases, primarily Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki combatants, members of the Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové group and Twa militiamen. The other cases are attributable to State agents, mainly members of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (22 per cent of the total victims). The armed forces and the Congolese national police continue to be listed in the annex to the report of the United Nations Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2019/280). 51. North and South Kivu are the provinces most affected by this violence, which mostly takes the form of rape, gang rape and forced marriage, mainly of women and girls, though men and boys are also victims. Several mass rapes were reported during the period under review, including by Mai-Mai Raia Mutomboki combatants in Shabunda territory, South Kivu. In North Kivu, the number of rapes committed by fighters of the Nduma défense du Congo-Rénové, Nyatura and APCLS-Rénové groups has increased steadily since the beginning of 2019, in a context of growing insecurity and population displacement. In addition, in highly militarized conflict areas such as Beni, in North Kivu, and Uvira, in South Kivu, the Joint Office has continued to document numerous cases of sexual violence committed by soldiers. 52. In Tanganyika province, the number of cases of rape, gang rape and sexual slavery mainly targeting women and girls and committed by Twa militiamen (47 women and 4 GE.19-13875 9