A/RES/69/248 Situation of human rights in Myanmar be held in 2015 are credible, inclusive and transparent, allowing all candidates to fairly contest the elections, and to ensure that Myanmar continues its democratic transition by bringing all national institutions, including the military, under a democratically elected, fully representative civilian government; 3. Further welcomes the ongoing efforts aimed at reviewing and reforming legislation, recalls the importance of ensuring its compatibility with international standards and democratic principles, welcomes some steps taken to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, and calls upon the Government of Myanmar to continue legal reform, including by repealing laws restricting fundamental freedoms, to consider ratifying additional international instruments, including international human rights conventions, and to take further steps to strengthen good governance and the rule of law, including through legislative, judicial and institutional reform; 4. Welcomes the release of prisoners of conscience, stressing the important role of the political prisoner review committee and encouraging its continuation, urges the Government of Myanmar to continue the unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, including all political activists and human rights defenders recently detained or convicted, and to provide for the full rehabilitation of former prisoners of conscience, welcomes the announcement of a mandate for the Interim Press Council to mediate disputes between journalists and the authorities, and encourages the Government to fulfil its commitment to protect the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, to allow for free and independent media and to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of journalists, civil society activists and human rights defenders and their freedom to pursue their activities; 5. Urges the Government of Myanmar to step up its efforts to end remaining human rights violations and abuses, including arbitrary arrest and detention, forced displacement, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, arbitrary deprivation of property, including land, and violations of international humanitarian law in some parts of the country, and repeats its call upon the Government to take necessary measures to ensure accountability and end impunity; 6. Welcomes the important steps taken towards a nationwide ceasefire with ethnic armed groups and towards an all-inclusive political dialogue with the objective of achieving lasting peace, and urges full implementation of existing ceasefire agreements, including for all parties to protect the civilian population against ongoing violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law and for safe, timely, full and unhindered humanitarian access to be granted to all areas; 7. Urges the Government of Myanmar to accelerate its efforts to address discrimination, human rights violations, violence, hate speech, displacement and economic deprivation affecting various ethnic and religious minorities, and attacks against Muslims and other religious minorities, and calls upon the Government to uphold the rule of law and to step up its efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence in all sectors of society by, inter alia, facilitating interfaith and intercommunity dialogue and understanding and supporting community leaders in this direction; 8. Reiterates its serious concern about the situation of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State, including further instances of violence and other abuses in the past year, and, while noting some steps taken by the Government of Myanmar to address the situation, calls upon the Government to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all inhabitants of Rakhine State regardless of legal status, to ensure full and immediate access to humanitarian assistance without 2/3