A/HRC/7/18 page 13 54. On 29 June 2007, ICRC issued a public statement denouncing major and repeated violations of international humanitarian law committed against civilians and detainees, including the use of convicts as porters. The Special Rapporteur expresses his concern over these violations and his frustration at the restrictions on the movement of ICRC staff in the affected areas and on entry into places of detention in accordance with their standard procedures. ICRC has consequently failed to adhere to the requests of family members of political prisoners to continue prison visits, as there has been no breakthrough in negotiations with the authorities despite the willingness of ICRC to dialogue. 55. The Special Rapporteur is particularly pleased to note that Myanmar submitted its combined second and third reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in June 2007, which will be considered by the Committee at its forty-second session in October 2008. The pre-sessional working group of the Committee met in February 2008 to hold a preliminary review of the report and adopt a list of issues in relation to the country. The Special Rapporteur believes that this effort would have benefited from a larger consultation process within the country as to better reflect the advances and the challenges, including through the support of the expert views in the United Nations agencies and programmes in the country. The Special Rapporteur also believes that the Government will benefit from the expertise of Committee members in view of the widespread sexual violence against women and girls reported in the country. He encourages the Government to seek international assistance to implement the Committee’s recommendations meaningfully and also commends the efforts of women’s associations inside and outside the country to prepare documentation for the Committee. 56. The initial and second periodic reports under the Convention on the Rights of the Child have been submitted to the Committee on the Rights of the Child; the combined third and fourth periodic report is due in August 2008. This represents an opportunity for the Government to work with civil society, the United Nations system and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, to engage in a discussion on sexual violence against girls and on the recruitment of child soldiers with a view to submitting its report in the best possible conditions. 57. Both committees have examined the reports submitted by Myanmar and adopted recommendations and concluding observations, providing guidance to the Government on how to fulfil its international human rights obligations. The Special Rapporteur reiterates that the recommendations of treaty bodies are an important tool for policymakers and development practitioners. It is therefore important for the Government and its partners to follow up on these recommendations. They will help to measure political will, obstacles encountered and progress made, to identify new trends and to complement the efforts made by the Government towards the protection and promotion of human rights. B. Systematic human rights violations, impunity and accountability 58. The culture of impunity remains the main obstacle to securing respect for human rights in Myanmar and to creating a favourable environment for their realization. Throughout his mandate, the Special Rapporteur has received reports of widespread and systematic human rights violations, including summary executions, torture, forced labour practices, sexual violence and