A/HRC/16/9 by their provisions. However, if Bulgaria was to be able to fully implement the Convention, a number of changes needed to be made in domestic legislation, including the Family Code, and such changes were now in process. Once that process had been completed, Bulgaria would be able to proceed with ratification. 36. Regarding the situation of Roma children and school attendance rates, Bulgaria acknowledged that Roma children constituted a large proportion of the children dropping out of the education system. However, the number of leaving school prematurely had been declining. The Government had taken action to increase children’s school completion rates, particularly in impoverished communities, where many were of Roma origin, by linking child benefits to school attendance. Furthermore, there had never been a policy of segregating children of different ethnic backgrounds in schools. Rather, there had been a decline in the quality of the teaching in schools whose students belonged to predominantly Roma or impoverished families. The Government would continue to address the quality of the education that children received throughout the education system. 37. Bulgaria reiterated that there was a comprehensive programme for the deinstitutionalization of children, in view of the system inherited from the past. The aim was to improve training programmes aimed at improving services in existing institutions and community-based services, such as foster care, and to involve the extended families of institutionalized children in assuming responsibility for their care once they had left the institutions. Another system involved the establishment of a number of safe houses, where adolescents could stay before being reintegrated into society. 38. To the comment on the need to promote tolerance more actively through a public campaign, the delegation responded that Bulgaria was famous for being a country of tolerance, and that under law, all religious and ethnic communities fully enjoyed their right to engage in their cultural traditions and religious practices. The delegation reiterated the readiness of the Government to continue, by providing various services, in partnership with the non-governmental community, to be engaged in promoting tolerance more actively. 39. Denmark was pleased to note a momentum in Bulgaria’s efforts to reform the justice system and asked what the main challenges were in the years to come. Denmark also highlighted the issue of the Roma minority and wished to know the extent to which members of that minority were treated as Bulgarian citizens in their own right. Denmark stated that it looked forward to Bulgaria’s swift ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. Denmark made recommendations. 40. Hungary welcomed the establishment of several national institutions in the field of human rights. Hungary supported Bulgaria’s commitment to fighting corruption, which remained one of the major social problems, alongside human trafficking and discrimination. Hungary was concerned about the high number of cases involving violations against and among children, and stated that the protection of children should be one of the main priorities of every State. Hungary made recommendations. 41. Brazil commended Bulgaria for its cooperation with the human rights mechanisms, including its standing invitation to special procedures and the withdrawal of all its reservations to human rights treaties. Brazil noted that Bulgaria recognized the persistence of discrimination against, poverty among and the social exclusion of Roma. It noted with concern the increased rates of the sexual exploitation of children and child abuse. Brazil commended Bulgaria for recent achievements in the protection of refugees. Brazil made recommendations. 42. Stating that Bulgaria had been its traditional friend and an important European Union partner, Slovakia thanked Bulgaria for having referred to the topic of the Roma community and expressed its readiness to share the best practices and lessons learned within the framework of the Decade of Roma Inclusion. Slovakia commended Bulgaria’s efforts to 8