HIGHLIGHTS OF RESULTS course has been disseminated in countries throughout Latin America where almost 300 judges, public prosecutors and police officers have been trained in 2017. In Guatemala, in cooperation with the School of Judicial Studies and the Supreme Court of Justice, the Office presented a toolkit for the incorporation of a human rights-based approach and a gender perspective into sentences of feminicide and other forms of violence against women. The toolkit has been disseminated to all judges of the specialized and ordinary tribunals across the country and has been shared with other Latin American countries as a good practice. At the global level, upon taking office, the SecretaryGeneral set out to develop a new strategy on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse. The strategy was released in March and UN Human Rights contributed to the implementation of four priority areas, namely, putting the rights and dignity of victims first, ending impunity, engaging with civil society and external partners and improving strategic communications for education and transparency. Security sector With regard to legislation on the use of force, in Mexico, legislation that was adopted by the state of Mexico was challenged before the Supreme Court due to its non-alignment with international standards. The Supreme Court issued a resolution which declared some parts of the legislation to be unconstitutional. In addition, the Nigerian army significantly enhanced its legal and institutional framework to ensure that it complies with international standards during counterinsurgency operations. Specifically, it adopted rules of engagement, a Code of Conduct for its operations and a human rights policy. It also established a human rights desk, which addressed allegations of violations against army personnel and facilitated dialogue and engagement with civil society organizations. Moreover, in August, the Government announced a judicial commission to investigate military compliance with its Code of Conduct, rules of engagement and human rights obligations. In relation to the peace accords in Colombia, a decree was endorsed that formalized the Special Investigation Unit to dismantle paramilitary successor organizations. In Guatemala, a proposal for amendments to the Law that regulates private security services, which would align it with international human rights standards, was presented to the Congress. In addition, State security institutions achieved progress in incorporating human rights into their policies. For instance, the police improved their internal procedures to limit the use of force against civilians, particularly in the context of judicial evictions. Furthermore, the unit within the Ministry of Interior that regulates private security services adopted internal manuals and protocols. Limited progress has been achieved, however, by national authorities in Honduras on the integration of a human rights-based approach into security policies. Recommendations from UN Human Rights regarding a number of legislative proposals were not fully considered. Protection systems and accountability mechanisms Mechanisms were put in place by a number of States to provide enhanced human rights protection to their populations and bring those responsible for human rights violations to justice. The Government of the Central African Republic developed a comprehensive national protection strategy for witnesses and victims with a view to encouraging their collaboration in the search for truth Securing justice and reparations for victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo In 2015, Hope (her real name) was 16 years old when she was raped by a 42-year-old neighbour at a farm outside of the town of Beni, in North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Unable to hide her trauma, she told her mother about the assault and was immediately taken to the nearest hospital. The hospital hosts a One Stop Centre for victims of sexual violence, which provides victims like Hope with holistic assistance (medical, psychological, legal and socioeconomic). After receiving the necessary medical care and psychosocial assistance, Hope’s case was referred to the legal clinic that is located in the same hospital. She received additional support from the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO). Subsequently, the legal clinic raised her case with the special Congolese police unit in charge of cases relating to children and sexual violence. Following a thorough investigation, the perpetrator was arrested and convicted, in 2017, to seven years in prison. With the support of the One Stop Centre, Hope was reintegrated into her school and benefited from a grant to start a small income generating activity while also pursuing her studies. The efforts undertaken by UNJHRO to support duty-bearers and rights-holders, both in this case and in previous cases, has proven to be successful in securing justice and reparations for victims of sexual violence. UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 47