A/HRC/16/9 8. In his opening statement, he addressed a number of advance questions. 9. With regard to the existence of an independent national human rights institution acting in accordance with the Paris Principles, the Minister confirmed that such an institution existed in the Office of the Ombudsman; however, the Ombudsman had not yet formally undertaken the requisite steps for accreditation in accordance with the Principles. The Government expected that an application for accreditation would be submitted during the course of this year or in 2011. 10. Concerning steps to improve access and the provision of public services and facilities to the Roma population in order to improve their standard of living, the Minister recognized that Roma communities faced specific social and economic challenges that needed to be addressed in a comprehensive manner. The Government had taken a series of measures to ensure the full integration of Roma into the mainstream of society, through the introduction of special school assistants, an expanding network of health-care mediators, and employment mediators. Another promising project was the Social Inclusion Project, implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, which supported low-income families belonging to minority groups that had experienced difficulties integrating into the labour market; the Project also envisaged setting up services to meet the educational and health-care needs of children. In addition, representatives of the Roma communities were actively involved in a programme funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, which targeted rural areas. 11. With respect to the protection of children’s rights, with a special focus on the wellbeing of children within the child-care system, he stated that in 2008, Parliament had adopted the National Strategy for Children 2008-2018, which defined priority areas and actions for improvement. All outdated child-care institutions inherited from the past would be closed in the next 15 years and gradually replaced by a network of community-based services, with the first priority being the closure of legacy institutions for the medical and social care of children up to 3 years of age. In the meantime, the conditions in State and municipal child-care institutions had to be improved. The Government had also adopted a policy document for de-institutionalization, in accordance with the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and with the involvement of 23 non-governmental organisations and the United Nations Children’s Fund. An Action Plan had been formulated that envisaged the implementation of several projects over the next 15 years. 12. Regarding the equal treatment and protection from discrimination of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, he stated that discrimination based on sexual orientation was prohibited under the Protection against Discrimination Act, whose scope extended beyond the minimal requirements of the European Union acquis communautaire. In the event of discrimination, a number of national remedies existed, ranging from addressing the Commission for the Protection against Discrimination to the court system. 13. Concerning torture, he stated that Bulgaria had signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and that its swift ratification was a matter of priority. The use of torture or any form of degrading treatment was prohibited by both the Constitution and domestic legislation. Furthermore, Ministry of Interior regulations were aimed at preventing discrimination and safeguarding respect for the human rights of detainees. In all cases involving alleged police violence, inquiries had been initiated and, after due process, sanctions had been imposed. If there were indications that a crime had been committed, the case was transmitted to the prosecutor’s office. The Minister provided relevant statistics. 14. The Minister stated that a special system for the registration of complaints alleging ill treatment by police officers had been introduced and was closely monitored. He added that a Police Officer’s Code of Ethics had been adopted and that control over its implementation was exercised by the Commission on Human Rights and Police Ethics 4