A/HRC/30/29 from the General Consulate of France, who had been called for assistance, arrived and took photographs did the three individuals leave. The next morning, two neighbourhood guards from the police unit armed with batons were stationed in front of the residence (ibid.). 43. In his mission report, the Special Rapporteur expressed his deep concern and outrage at these reports and reiterated his request to the Government of Viet Nam to reconfirm its guarantee that none of the individuals with whom he met or intended to meet would be subjected to any form of reprisal (A/HRC/28/66/Add.2, paras. 4, 83 (s) and 84 (c)). In its response of 16 March 2015, to the joint communication (see A/HRC/29/50, case VNM 11/2014) and in its comments on the mission report (A/HRC/28/66/Add.4), the Government affirmed that it had cooperated fully with the Special Rapporteur during his visit and that the allegations had been fabricated, ill-intended and sought to “distort and tarnish” the situation of human rights in Viet Nam. In his oral statement to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session, on 10 March 2015, the Special Rapporteur emphasized that the acts of reprisal committed during his visit were a blatant violation of the terms of reference of the visit, to which the delegate of Viet Nam responded that there had been “no such harassment, threat nor reprisal against the persons who met with the SR as the SR just mentioned. We deeply regret this inaccurate misleading information, and probably misunderstandings”. IV. Conclusions and recommendations 44. The present report shows that acts of intimidation and reprisal against individuals and groups seeking to cooperate, cooperating or having cooperated with the United Nations in the field of human rights continue. The types of acts reported seem to have become more varied and severe over time, targeting not only the individuals or groups concerned but also their families, legal representatives, nongovernmental organizations and anyone linked to them. This is a matter of grave concern to me and to the United Nations system as a whole. 45. Looking at the cases included in the present and in previous reports, a number of recurring, though non-exhaustive, types of act may be identified. They encompass threats and harassment by government officials, including through public statements, media smear campaigns and police surveillance, but also forced closure of organizations, including through the introduction of new legislation, physical attacks, travel bans, arbitrary arrest, detention, including incommunicado and solitary confinement, charges and sentencing, sometimes to lengthy prison terms, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including sexual violence, denial of access to medical attention and, sadly, even death. Such acts not only show a complete disregard for the functioning of the United Nations as a whole but also highlight the fact that, despite repeated calls for action by States to end all such violations, impunity continues to surround them. 46. While it is the primary obligation of the State to protect those who cooperate with the United Nations in the field of human rights and to ensure that they may do so safely and without hindrance, the cases described in the present report suggest, worryingly, that acts of intimidation and reprisal are often perpetrated by government officials or representatives of the State. 47. I reiterate that any act of intimidation or reprisal against individuals or groups for their engagement with the United Nations, its mechanisms and representatives in the field of human rights is completely unacceptable and must be halted, immediately and unconditionally. Civil society representatives are indispensable partners for the United Nations. Any act of intimidation or reprisal against them undermines the effective functioning of the United Nations as a whole. We must therefore step up 15