The situation in Afghanistan A/RES/68/11 particular girls, stresses the need to further promote tolerance and religious freedom and to ensure respect for the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of thought, conscience or belief as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, emphasizes the necessity of investigating allegations of current and past violations, stresses the importance of facilitating the provision of efficient and effective remedies to the victims and of bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with national and international law, calls for full implementation of the mass media law, while noting with concern and condemning the continuing intimidation and violence targeting Afghan journalists, such as cases of abduction and even killing of journalists by terrorist as well as extremist and criminal groups, and urges that harassment and attacks on journalists be investigated by Afghan authorities and that those responsible be brought to justice; 39. Commends the Government of Afghanistan for its active participation in the universal periodic review process, calls for continued active participation of Afghan civil society in this process, and encourages the timely implementation of the recommendations addressed in the relevant report; 40. Reiterates the important role of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, stresses the need to guarantee its constitutional status and implement its mandate, focusing on communities across Afghanistan, so as to foster a more informed public and increase Government accountability, notes the initial concerns of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with respect to the new appointments to the Commission, emphasizes the importance of the Government of Afghanistan’s reaffirmation of its commitment to maintaining the standards regarding Human Rights Commissioners in accordance with article 11 of the law on the Commission and the Paris Principles 9 to retaining the Commission’s “A” status, welcomes the decision of the Government to take full responsibility for the core funding of the Commission, urges the Government to implement this decision, urges the Commission to cooperate closely with Afghan civil society, and calls upon the international community for continued support in this regard; 41. Recalls Security Council resolutions 1674 (2006) of 28 April 2006, 1738 (2006) of 23 December 2006 and 1894 (2009) of 11 November 2009 and the midyear report of July 2013 on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, prepared by the Assistance Mission, expresses its serious concern at the continued high number of civilian casualties, including women and children, and their impact on local communities, notes that the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other violent and extremist groups and illegal armed groups remain responsible for the significant majority of civilian casualties, reiterates its call for all feasible steps to be taken to ensure the protection of civilians, and calls for additional appropriate steps in this regard and for full compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law; 42. Recognizes the further progress made by the International Security Assistance Force, authorized by the Security Council, and other international forces to ensure the protection of the civilian population and to minimize civilian casualties, and calls upon them to continue to make enhanced efforts in this regard, notably through the continuous review of tactics and procedures and the conduct of afteraction reviews and investigations in cooperation with the Government of _______________ 9 Resolution 48/134, annex. 11/21