A/HRC/24/4 8. Institutional-level reforms had involved harmonization of the National Human Rights Commission and the Paris Principles,1 the establishment of the office of political opposition leader, the creation of the National Council to Combat Female Circumcision, the establishment of the National Council for the Advancement of Women and capacitybuilding of the Higher State Supervisory Authority. Forums for dialogue and consultation had also been established. 9. The delegation added that a national strategy to promote a culture of peace and tolerance had been adopted with the aim of promoting peaceful coexistence between communities and religions. Furthermore, the President of Burkina Faso had been deeply involved in peace processes in Africa through mediation in several conflicts. 10. Regarding development policies, the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development had been adopted with the aim of enhancing the productivity of the country’s economy and improving the people’s standard of living. 11. Concerning international instruments, Burkina Faso had ratified some of the international conventions listed in its report but was aware that it needed to make further efforts to ratify the others, in particular the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. 12. The delegation also announced that information activities had been organized for the public, that a national monitoring committee had been established and a national action plan adopted. On the issue of compliance with its international obligations, Burkina Faso had presented or submitted reports to the treaty bodies listed in its report. 13. Many other activities were carried out in the areas of education, justice, and human rights protection and promotion with the aim of improving the human rights situation on the ground. However, constraints and challenges remained – in particular, the persistence of certain harmful traditional practices, illiteracy, growing antisocial behaviour, ignorance of laws, poverty and limited State resources. 14. The main challenge remained the continued promotion and protection of human rights through the implementation of the national policy on human rights and the promotion of civic responsibility and its related action plan. 15. Concerning the written questions, the delegation provided the following replies. 16. With regard to strengthening the framework for the legal protection of human rights, interministerial consultations were under way to bring national legislation into line with international standards and to ratify the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 17. As to cooperation with the special procedures, Burkina Faso had reiterated its willingness to welcome any request for a visit addressed by the special procedures, as it had already done in the past. 18. Regarding children’s rights, the Government had established a national committee to monitor the fight against trafficking in persons and related practices and strengthened its activities to provide information, training and awareness-raising to certain stakeholders with the aim of remedying the lack of information. Corporal punishment was strictly prohibited in schools, training centres and even in the home. As to child labour in gold mines, mining licence holders were required to prohibit children’s access to sites for which they were responsible. 1 4 Principles relating to the status of national institutions, General Assembly resolution 48/134 of 20 December 1993. GE.13-15534