124 Resource book on the use of force and firearms in law enforcement 7.4.  Allowing monitors and journalists An important measure to prevent excessive or otherwise arbitrary use of force is to organize for transparency and scrutiny, and States are encouraged to explore ways they can actively facilitate the presence of independent monitors, such as from police oversight bodies, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) and others, during assemblies.276 Monitoring of assemblies can provide an impartial and objective account of what takes place, including a factual record of the conduct of both participants and law enforcement officials.277 This supports law enforcement officials by giving independent validation when their actions were lawful. An example is provided by Malaysia, where representatives of SUHAKAM, the NHRI, acted as observers during a sensitive public protest, by deploying teams of observers.278 Human rights defenders, from both local and national/international NGOs should be expressly recognized and guaranteed to monitor and report on human rights abuses and violations that may have occurred before, during and after the assembly and more generally how it was handled.279 For this purpose the OSCE has trained assembly monitors in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova and Serbia, and issued the Handbook on Monitoring Freedom of Assembly in September 2011. Journalists, community media workers, other media professionals, “citizen journalists” and bloggers form another important group playing an important role in ensuring transparency and the right to information. Law enforcement and other authorities should facilitate their coverage of public assemblies, including the actions of the police, without official hindrance and regardless of their accreditation status.280 Media coverage must be recognized as an element of protection of human rights in the context of peaceful assemblies and protests, and the right to information should not be conditioned by the holding of a press card or press accreditation. States should ensure access for journalists to places of public protest to film and interview, and law enforcement officials should respect the neutrality of journalists and receive training on respect for international norms and standards on freedom of information as well as on the work of the media during assemblies and protests. Law enforcement agencies should develop a strategy for facilitating media coverage of public events. 276  See Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, A/HRC/20/27, 21 May 2012, para. 48. 277  See Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, A/62/225, 13 Aug 2007, para. 91. 278  See Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, A/HRC/20/27, 21 May 2012, para. 49. 279  See OSCE Monitoring Report 2013-2014, paras. 59-62. See also http://www.osce.org/odihr/82979 and Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, A/HRC/20/27, 21 May 2012, para. 50. 280  See Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A/HRC/22/28, 21 Jan 2013, para. 68; OSCE Monitoring report 2013-2014, paras. 59-62.