A/HRC/17/17 54. The delegation stated that sexual minorities was included as a target group in the Ministry of Social Affairs’ development plan in the past two years. Estonia had carried out awareness-raising campaign on the rights of sexual minorities with some successful impact. 55. The Government supported the active participation of persons with disabilities in public life through the provision of relevant services. Social welfare programs were in place to assist persons with disabilities in overcoming the difficulties they faced. 56. Amendments to the Penal Code were developed to bring it in line with international law and would be introduced to the Parliament for adoption in 2011. The amendments aim, inter alia, to bring the crime of hate speech in line with international standards, make ethnic, racist and religious hatred an aggravating circumstance, and include the specific crime of human trafficking. 57. In April 2010, a development plan on reducing violence for 2010-2014 came into force, which defines activities and responsibilities of various agencies to combat all forms of violence in society. The plan specifically targets violence against children, violence committed by children, domestic violence and human trafficking, and includes various measures to combat family violence and human trafficking. Estonia has adopted a holistic approach to combating domestic violence and all forms of violence and thus, no specific provision had been envisaged to address domestic violence. 58. Slovakia commended Estonia’s cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanism and its particular engagement in the area of women’s rights. It welcomed the establishment of mechanisms for dialogue with minority groups, including the Council of Ethnic Minorities, the Roundtable of Nationalities and the Integration Strategy. It noted the possible lack of access to the asylum procedure and the lack of clear grounds for accepting or rejecting an application for an alternative to military service. Slovakia made recommendations. 59. The United States commended Estonia’s leadership in establishing the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Action Plan to implement Security Council resolution 1325. The United States welcomed Estonia’s commitment to fight trafficking in persons and its support for victims, and enquired about the enactment of legislation on trafficking in persons. The United States welcomed the gender equality measures but remained concerned about the pay gap between men and women. The United States enquired about the long-term plan to improve conditions for detainees and about the civil society development plan. The United States made recommendations. 60. Bosnia and Herzegovina noted that the issue of trafficking in human beings was a challenge that Estonia faced, and asked Estonia to elaborate on the legislation, practice, and steps taken within the scope of regional cooperation. It also noted that Estonia did not have a national human rights institution accredited by the International Coordinating Committee. It commended Estonia for the steps taken to improve the status of women, however, noted that gender inequality persisted. Bosnia and Herzegovina made recommendations. 61. Chile appreciated Estonia’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, and highlighted that the recommendations and conclusions of the Human Rights Committee had been made public through the media. It welcomed Estonia’s intentions to ratify various international human rights instruments, and commended the promulgation of the Law on Equal Treatment which guarantees protection for all persons against discrimination, and establishes a Commissioner for Gender Equality and Equal Treatment. Chile made recommendations. 62. Ecuador noted the challenges that Estonia faced, and highlighted the need to address the issue of stateless persons. Ecuador requested information about the Foundation for 10