The Committee urges the State party to adopt strong, efficient and time-framed measures to promote good governance and combat corruption. In this respect, the Committee urges the State part to: (a) Recognize the urgency of eradicating corruption within all government agencies, including police forces at national, provincial and locals levels; (b) Raise the awareness of politicians, law makers, national and local civil servants and law enforcement officers as to the negative impact of corruption; (c) Train judges, prosecutors, the police and other law enforcement officers on the strict application of anti-corruptionlaws; (d) Review its sentencing policy for corruption-related offences; (e) Ensure that civil servants and military personnel do not resort to extortion from civilians by taking the necessary measures to this end, including payment of adequate salaries; (f) Ensure the transparency of the conduct of public authorities, in law and in practice; (g) Implement the tripartite agreement signed with South Africa and UNODC; (h) Provide in its next periodic report detailed information about anti-corruption initiatives, progress made, and obstacles encountered, in combating corruption. 12. The Committee is seriously concerned that human rights defenders, especially those denouncing corruption, the illegal exploitation of natural resources and supporting victims of sexual violence are routinely exposed to arbitrary detention, threats and attacks by Government security, police forces and armed groups, illegitimate restrictions of their activities, judicial harassment, defamation campaigns and other forms of stigmatization. The Committee urges the State party to take the necessary action in accordance with the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promoteand Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedomsto end the ongoing harassment and persecution of human rights defendersand ensure that those responsible for the threats and attacks are duly prosecuted and punished. The Committee also recommends that the State party engage in a constant dialogue with human rights defenders to implement strategies for the protection and promotion of economic, social and cultural rights throughout the country. 13. The Committee is concerned that, in spite of the adoption of a mining code in 2002 and a mining plan in 2004, as well as the current review of all mining contracts, the illegal exploitation and mismanagement of the natural resources of the State party continue with the involvement of foreign companies. The Committee also notes with great concern that in the resource-rich province of Katanga which is under effective Government control, its extensive mining industry continues to be exploited to the detriment of the rights of people of this province who remain extremely poor and deprived of basic social services and infrastructure. The Committee is further concerned about the lack of transparency surrounding the current revision of mining contracts and the granting of new contracts to foreign companies, such as the exclusive concession granted in the field of uranium extraction. (article 1.2) The Committee urges the State party to take all appropriate measures to ensure that its natural resources are not subjected to illegal exploitation and mismanagement; to review without delay the mining contracts in a transparent and participatory way; repeal all contracts which are detrimental to the Congolese people; and ensure that future contracts are concluded in a transparent and public way. The Committee also encourages the State party to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for which it has been a candidate country since 2008, in particular as regards the regular disclosure of revenues received from oil, gas and mining to a wide audience in a publicly