A/HRC/26/33 international law and national law. Article 7 of the Convention lists a series of actions that armed groups are prohibited from carrying out, in accordance with international law. 60. According to article 5 (11), such emphasis on the obligations of non-State actors and members of armed groups does not take away the primary responsibility of States parties, which are required to take measures aimed at ensuring that armed groups act in conformity with their obligations under article 7. 4. Participation and consultation of internally displaced persons and host communities 61. Throughout the Convention, States parties are reminded of their obligation to consult internally displaced persons and allow them to participate in decisions relating to their protection and assistance (for example, art. 9 (2)), including in decisions relating to durable solutions. States must also take measures to ensure that displaced persons who are citizens of their country of habitual residence may enjoy their civil and political rights, particularly in relation to public participation, such as the right to vote and the right to run for public office. With regard to development projects, article 10 (2) requires States parties to ensure that the stakeholders concerned will explore feasible alternatives, with full information and consultation of persons likely to be displaced by projects. 62. Such protection also concerns, to a large extent, host communities. Indeed, host communities are significantly affected by internal displacement, given that a great majority of internally displaced persons tend not to live in camps but rather with the said communities and families.29 The Kampala Convention reflects this reality by requiring States to take appropriate measures to take into account the needs of host communities. This also implies their involvement and participation in assessments to ensure that their needs are taken into consideration for appropriate humanitarian and development responses. 5. Monitoring and compliance with objectives 63. To monitor the implementation of the Kampala Convention, States parties are required to establish a Conference of States Parties (art. 14). States parties are also required to cooperate upon the request of a concerned State party or the Conference of States Parties, which is to convene regularly under the facilitation of the African Union (art. 14.2),to protect and assist internally displaced persons (art. 5.2). To date, the Conference of States Parties has never convened despite the provision in article 14 (2). The Special Rapporteur has repeatedly expressed his wish for the Conference of States Parties to be established in the near future. 64. Two other mechanisms for reporting on compliance are outlined in the Kampala Convention. States must report on the measures they have taken to give effect to the Convention whenever they present their reports under article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (art. 14.4). States Members of the African Union that have joined the African Peer Review Mechanism (must also report on such measures when they present their reports under the Mechanism (art. 14.4). 29 IDMC, “The Kampala Convention, One year on” (see footnote 14), p. 27. 15