the arbitrary or abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offence under their law.256 177. The UN Human Rights Council has called upon states to ensure adequate train- ing, inter alia, of law enforcement officials, including in international human rights law.257 According to the UN Basic Principles, in the training of law enforcement officials, special attention should be given to alternatives to the use of force and firearms, including the peaceful settlement of conflicts, understanding crowd behaviour and methods of persuasion, negotiation and mediation, with a view to limiting the use of force and firearms.258 178. Monitoring assemblies: The UNGA and the Human Rights Council have recog- nized the important role of human rights defenders in the context of peaceful protests.259 Human rights defenders can perform their role in a variety of ways, including as organizers of or participants in assemblies, but also as assembly monitors who observe and report on the conduct of assemblies and policing operations and their compliance with international human rights standards. The monitoring of assemblies by human rights defenders can help to assess the conduct of assemblies and policing operations. It can also contribute to an informed public debate about measures that may be needed to address shortcomings concerning the legal framework on assemblies, training needs of law enforcement officers or whether additional resources or equipment for the policing of assemblies are required.260 179. A s the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association has pointed out, the right to peaceful assembly not only covers the right to hold or participate in an assembly, but also protects the rights of those monitoring peaceful assemblies.261 He has, therefore, called on states to ensure the protection of those monitoring and reporting on violations and abuses in the context of peaceful assemblies.262 The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders has also called on states to allow human rights defenders to operate freely in the context of assemblies in order to enable them to perform their monitoring role.263 180. Participating States should actively support and facilitate the initiatives of human rights defenders to independently monitor and report on assemblies. Authorities are recommended to consult with assembly monitors both prior to the assembly – for 256  UN Basic Principles, principle 7. 257  A/HRC/RES/19/35, para. 7. 258  UN Basic Principles, principle 20. 259  See A/HRC/RES/226, para. 6; A/RES/68/181, para. 8; A/RES/66/164, para. 6. 260  See OSCE/ODIHR-Venice Commission Guidelines, para. 5.9, and for further details pp. 94-110. 261  See A/HRC/20/27, Summary. 262  A/HRC/20/27, para. 94. 263  See the report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, UN Doc. A/62/225, 13 August 2007, para. 101(f)(i). 86 Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders