A/HRC/8/38 Page 5 16. The Government created an Inter-Institutional Commission on Social Cohesion, composed of the Education, and Social Assistance and Public Health Ministries, as well as the Secretariats on Food Security and Social Works, which will now coordinate all social investment programmes. The Commission has already introduced water and basic sanitation to the 45 poorest municipalities. It gives special attention to schools, health centres, hospital networks, the development of housing and road infrastructure, as well as providing microcredit to women and fertilizer to small farmers, inter alia. 17. The Government highlighted programmes to build new community homes, prevent maternal and infant HIV/AIDS, ensure food security for children and expectant mothers, made possible by providing additional resources to the Social Wellbeing Secretariat (a 200 per cent budget increment). 18. The Government also highlighted the celebration of the Encuentro Nacional por la Primera Infancia (a national initiative on infancy) and the establishment of an Inter-Institutional Commission on Transparency and against Corruption, headed by the Vice-President, to ensure its efforts to advance economic, social and cultural rights are not hampered by corruption. 19. Following the adoption in 2005 of the Framework Law on the Peace Agreements, the State has adopted a policy of public recognition of the grave human rights violations committed during the armed conflict. Through the National Reparations Programme, the Government has provided moral and economic reparation to victims of the conflict and their families. Responding to cases before the Inter-American Human Rights System, the State has honoured the memory of victims, publicly requesting forgiveness. The present administration has proposed to Congress an initiative to create a National Law on Reparations. The President also announced his intention to open military archives to assist in clarifying the past. 20. The Government thanked the United Nations system, and in particular, OHCHR and its Office in Guatemala, and called for the strengthening of technical and financial assistance. 21. In response to written questions, Ms. del Valle, President of COPREDEH, made additional comments. In relation to attacks on human rights defenders, a body has been created and a process developed to deal with such offences in coordination with the OHCHR and organizations of human rights defenders. On cases of enforced disappearance, Guatemala has established a special unit on human rights in the Prosecutor’s office. The Government has also been working on reforms of the criminal code, particularly on torture and enforced disappearances. It has ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. A policy relating to gender violence and sexual violence is being developed to deal around the clock with these cases. On deaths of women and extrajudicial killings, the delegation cited the law on femicide mentioned above and noted that in Guatemala, there is a duty to mainstream gender and human rights in policy. Prosecution of human rights abuses is being strengthened and victim protection programs are being introduced, free of charge. The civil national police and criminal investigations are being strengthened by improving scene of crime procedures and public prosecution proceedings. The Government is establishing bodies to examine DNA and ballistic and other evidence. 22. The delegation underscored the strengthening of institutions and funding for indigenous development and the recent establishment of the Professional Secretariat and a unit of defence for indigenous women, as well as having indigenous public defenders and the use of Mayan interpreters within the court system. Consideration is being given to setting up an indigenous ombudsman. Their rights are being enhanced through bilingual education, a standing dialogue forum for agrarian conflicts, the establishment of a land identification system and an Ombudsman on agrarian affairs. The Government is consulting with indigenous people on issues relating to