A/HRC/7/66 page 16 IV. TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE A. Truth and Reconciliation Commission 59. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established in 2002, completed its task and submitted a final report to the Government in October 2005 with a number of recommendations to address the root causes of the conflict and to consolidate peace. The implementation of these recommendations is crucial to the consolidation of peace and national reconciliation in Sierra Leone. While many recommendations have been implemented, such as the passage of the gender bills and the Child Rights Act, the pace of implementation has been slow, and a number of key recommendations remain unimplemented, in particular the reparations programme. The programme is intended to address the human rights needs of five categories of victims of the conflict (amputees, the wounded, widows, children and victims of sexual abuse) through assistance in medical care, housing, education, pensions and microcredit. However, the lack of political will and resources have frustrated the actual implementation of the programme. 60. In 2007, awareness-raising programmes on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report were reinforced. In collaboration with a number of Sierra Leonean artists, the Section produced a music CD on the findings and recommendations of the report, the launching of which in June 2007 attracted over 7,000 people at the national stadium. With OHCHR support, 5,000 copies of the CD and 2,500 cassettes were produced and are now being distributed free across the country. By the end of the year, UNIOSIL had produced a matrix on the status of implementation of the recommendations and organized, in collaboration with the Human Rights Commission, a two-day national consultative conference to review the status of implementation. 61. Following the designation of the National Commission for Social Action as the lead agency for the implementation of the reparations programme, a task force was constituted by the Government to advise on the institutional framework and implementation modalities for the programme. In July, the Government approved the report of the task force, which, inter alia, called for the amendment of the National Commission for Social Action Act to give it legal authority to implement the programme and the establishment of a victim’s trust fund by statute to enhance sustainability of the programme through continuous government support. B. Special court for Sierra Leone 62. The Special Court for Sierra Leone is now in its sixth year of operation. Of the four cases pending in the Court, the trial chamber has concluded two: one concerning the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, the other the Civil Defence Force. On 20 June, the Court handed down a judgement in the case of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council, finding three people guilty of crimes against humanity and breach of humanitarian laws; on 19 July, the Court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 45 to 50 years. On 2 August, in the case of the Civil Defence Force, the Court also found two people guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 6 to 8 years. Hinga Norman, the former leader of the Civil Defence force, died before the conclusion of his trial and all charges against him were dropped. The trial of the Revolutionary United Front is still before the trial chamber of the Special Court. 63. The trial of Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, resumed on 7 January 2008.