HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS Protection systems and accountability mechanisms Some progress was made in the establishment and functioning of national protection mechanisms for civil society organizations and individuals working on human rights issues. In Colombia, the national army developed and strengthened the National Immediate Response System to Advance Stabilization to improve the quality of responses to threats and attacks against organizations that advocate for human rights. The Response System is triggered when complaints are made regarding alleged threats, displacement, extortion and attacks against human rights leaders, primarily in the departments of Chocó, Antioquia and Cauca. Furthermore, through the development of the national police’s Protection Strategy for Vulnerable Populations, a new coordination mechanism was created whereby UN Human Rights informs the police about alleged threats and attacks against human rights defenders, which then triggers an immediate response by local police forces and judicial investigation groups. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since the progressive establishment of individual protection networks, 19 networks have been trained on human rights monitoring and protection guidelines. This has strengthened the capacity of NGOs and members of the networks to handle individual cases. They are now able to more effectively assess reported threats against human rights defenders and provide basic protection advice. In Honduras, the Office of the Attorney General began to develop a protocol for the investigation of crimes committed against human rights defenders. Also, in the Americas and together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, UN Human Rights developed a joint mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders and journalists, which was launched in October and is included in the Inter-American Commission’s 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. Lastly, in Papua New Guinea, UN Human Rights partnered with UN agencies and national stakeholders to support the establishment of a referral pathway of services for survivors of sexual violence as part of the National Strategy on Gender-Based Violence, which the National Executive Council approved in 2016. Consequently, victims of human rights violations were referred to legal assistance providers, such as the Office of the Public Solicitor, to seek protection and redress. Participation Through a variety of activities, UN Human Rights contributed to the increased engagement of rights-holders in public life and to their enhanced capacities to claim their rights. The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples facilitated the participation of 94 indigenous representatives in relevant meetings of the international human rights mechanisms. The beneficiaries of the Fund played a key role in launching the new mandate of the Expert Mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples. The Office promoted space for civil society actors in international human rights fora, including by facilitating their engagement with the international human rights mechanisms and building their capacity and knowledge in relation to human rights issues. Practical guides and publications were developed and disseminated to over 9,000 civil society actors. Furthermore, three regional capacity-building workshops on civil society space and United Nations human rights recommendations were organized in Africa and in Asia and the Pacific, which brought together approximately 100 civil society actors from 43 countries. In relation to results achieved in the field, the Electoral Code of Cameroon was revised to include a provision for the establishment of parity between women and men on the lists of political candidates. Consequently, political parties in Cameroon committed to developing a concrete plan of action to encourage the increased participation of women, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples in the legislative and presidential elections in 2018. A National Human Rights Defenders Network was established in Guinea-Bissau and a similar network in Sierra Leone brought together various civil society groups to collectively advocate for the adoption of a proposed law on the protection of human rights defenders. Moreover, in Timor-Leste, a network of human rights defenders that was created to protect the space for civil society actors, including organizations of persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTI community, assisted victims of alleged violations to seek redress and brought cases of alleged human rights violations to the attention of the Office of the Prosecutor and the international human rights mechanisms. In Tajikistan, the Government agreed to include civil society representatives in the governmental Working Group on Gender Legislation, the Protection of Women’s Rights and the Prevention of Domestic Violence. In Paraguay, UN Human Rights collaborated with the National Institute for Indigenous Issues, the Ministry of Women and a number of UN agencies to facilitate consultations with indigenous women to document their proposals on a variety of issues, such as participation, citizenship and non-discrimination, land and free and informed consent. The outcomes of the consultations were included in a publication that was launched in December and submitted to relevant authorities. UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 41