A/HRC/8/38 Page 11 exploitation, a special unit for the prevention of trafficking in persons, particularly children. The offence is criminalized and training for officials, an awareness campaign and a special prosecutor’s office have been put in place. Corporal punishment in all areas is denounced, sanctioned and punished. 53. Concerning racial and gender discrimination, Guatemala mentioned the coordination among State bodies to raise awareness on such issues. The Office for the Defence of Indigenous Women acts to protect indigenous women from discrimination and is also charged with promoting the defence of their human rights. The delegation highlighted the increasing number of indigenous women participating in Congress, as provincial governors and vice-ministers. The directorate for human rights and for indigenous affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements international policies in Guatemala in this area and promotes a proactive role of the country at the international level. Guatemala emphasized that a law on femicide was recently adopted and an inter-institutional commission is dedicated to this subject. National policies and practices are being strengthened with the support of the Presidential Commission on Women which put forward an initiative for the complete protection of women and also a programme, based on the Beijing Platform, to give more opportunities to women to participate in culture, politics and education. 54. On access to justice, the Government reiterated the creation of mobile courts and other initiatives. 55. In response to comments on the non-participation of civil society in the drafting of the national report, Guatemala noted that civil society provided its own report to OHCHR and a mechanism was set up to publicize their recommendations together with those of the States. 56. The delegation stated that renewal of the OHCHR in Guatemala’s mandate and enhancement of the work of the Office would be discussed based on the positive assessment of cooperation and technical assistance in the field of human rights. 57. Moreover, Guatemala mentioned efforts to improve tax collection and raise awareness among Guatemalans of their responsibility to participate in financing human rights activities. 58. South Africa sought clarification on how the Government was addressing the persistence of deeply rooted patriarchal attitudes and the success of policies on this issue. It asked what programmes were in place and about the high illiteracy rate of the indigenous population. It noted that Guatemala has some of the highest levels of inequality in Latin America and continued to face challenges in the eradication of poverty and the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights. South Africa recommended the acceleration of the poverty alleviation programmes with a view to addressing the uneven distribution of wealth, access to health and the high level of social exclusion of indigenous peoples and people of African descent. It also recommended that Guatemala accelerate adoption of the Bill authorizing the declaration provided for in article 14 of ICERD and that specific legislation be enacted to provide appropriate remedies for victims of racial discrimination, in particular, relating to the dissemination of ideas based on notions of racial superiority, racial hatred, incitement to racial discrimination and violent acts targeting indigenous peoples and people of African descent in Guatemala. 59. The United States of America asked what concrete measures, in addition to CICIG were being taken and what financial, technical and personnel resources were allocated to combating impunity and fortifying the rule of law, including within the judiciary, police, prosecution and other government organs. It recommended that the Government ensure that it allocates and provides all necessary financial, technical and personnel resources to combat impunity and lack of respect for the rule of law, including to combat corruption and impunity within the Government’s institutions. It cited as a serious impediment the killings, threats and abuses of judges, court officials, prosecutors, witnesses, human rights NGOs and the general public, and asked what concrete