A/HRC/45/36 make it ‘emphatically clear’ that it will protect from reprisals members of civil society and non-governmental organizations who have cooperated with the Committee in the context of its consideration of the State party’s initial report (arts. 2, 4, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16).”9 12. The Committee recommended that the State party “ensure that members of civil society and NGOs who have cooperated with the Committee are protected from any reprisals or harassment, including charges of breaching the Information and Communications Technology Act, in keeping with the pledge given by the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.”10 5. Burundi 13. In September 2019, the Human Rights Council urged the Government of Burundi to “cooperate fully with the treaty bodies, to allow special procedure mandate holders to enter and visit the country, to engage constructively with the OHCHR regional office and to stop any reprisal against human rights defenders who are cooperating with international human rights mechanisms, including the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/RES/42/26, para. 17)”. 14. On 9 March 2020, the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi regretted that some victims and direct witnesses who provided testimonies during its field missions in neighbouring countries faced acts of intimidation and threats. In this regard, the Commission commended “efforts by States to investigate allegations of acts of intimidation or reprisals and to bring perpetrators to justice” in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 42/28 on reprisals.11 In December 2019, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights addressed patterns of intimidation and reprisals to the Government in writing. 6. Cambodia 15. The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia in August 2019 noted that she had “received many reports of local police coming uninvited to events, training sessions or meetings, taking photographs, enquiring about organizers and the agenda or demanding information on participants,” and about civil society representatives and their families being closely monitored (A/HRC/42/60, para. 55). 12 16. OHCHR reported that in November 2019, one day prior to a meeting in Sihanoukville Province of a Cambodian civil society organization and the UN Country Team, the police demanded a permit from the organization to hold the meeting. OHCHR addressed the lawful meeting with provincial authorities, which was allowed to proceed, but the following day the police again demanded details of the activity and the names of participants from the organization. In August 2019, OHCHR conducted a training course on human rights monitoring and fact-finding in Kampong Thom Province for 25 human rights defenders and other members of civil society, including representatives of youth networks. Police officers arrived at the premises and demanded to see the training agenda and list of participants, and attempted to take photographs of participants. 17. Further, representatives of civil society have reportedly declined to be identified as working with the UN in its advocacy toward the Ministry of the Interior due to a fear of reprisals. Some victims in detention have also declined assistance from OHCHR, including refusing to have their cases reported to UN human rights mechanisms. The Special Rapporteur noted in October 2019 that she has repeatedly been denied confidential interviews with detainees. She reiterated that she should be able to visit any place of detention and meet with anyone as part of discharging her mandate (A/HRC/42/60, para. 4). 9 10 11 12 22 CAT/C/BGD/CO/1, para. 30. Ibid., para. 31 (d). Oral briefing by the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi, 43rd Human Rights Council session, (9 March 2020), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25694&LangID=E. See also, End of mission statement, Rhona Smith, Visit of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia (9 May 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24579&LangID=E.