A/HRC/8/27 Page 4 with the participation of representatives from civil society and the National Councils. These consultations led to a public hearing in the Federal Senate and contributions from stakeholders were reflected in the national report. 9. Brazil was aware of the need to advance towards the full realization of human rights and to include human rights in all normative instruments, although it recognizes that legislation alone does not guarantee implementation. 10. Brazil has also extended a standing invitation to all special procedures, several of whom have visited Brazil in the recent years. Brazil has also maintained a close relationship with treaty body mechanisms. 11. The economic growth, stability and social development under President Lula’s administration have been crucial to the strengthening of a dialogue with civil society. Within its social programmes, including the Family Allowance Programme (Bolsa Familia), the country has achieved the first of the eight Millennium Development Goals, including the reduction of extreme poverty by half by 2015. Between 1990 and 2005, extreme poverty has been reduced from 28 per cent to 16 per cent and poverty reduced from 52 per cent to 38 per cent. In absolute terms, between 2003 and 2005, around 10 million Brazilians surpassed the poverty line. Income inequality has also reduced. To date, around 45 million people - one quarter of the population - are beneficiaries of the Family Allowance Programme. 12. Brazil stressed that 2008 was marked by the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 120th anniversary of the abolition of slavery, both of which form a part of the country’s continuous fight against discrimination and racism. In October of this year, Brazil will celebrate 20 years of the rule of law, as the basis for the consolidation of the culture of democratic citizenship and prevalence of human rights. 13. Nonetheless, the country continues to face violence and many forms of exploitation, including forced labour and sexual exploitation, including of children and adolescents. Within the framework of the Statute on Children and Adolescents (Estatuto da Crianca e do Adolescente), action plans to overcome these issues have already been put in place as children and adolescents are amongst the Government’s priority goals. 14. The delegation of Brazil informed that a National Conference on Human Rights and a conference on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights will take place this year, involving a great number of NGOs. Brazil will also host the Third World Conference on Combating Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents with an anticipated participation of 130 countries, as well as the 2008 preparatory regional conference for the 2009 Durban Review Conference. The Brazilian delegation added that there are today in Brazil 35 Councils of the Republic with social participation. 15. Brazil indicated its awareness of progress achieved in the area of human rights but also admitted its remaining challenges. It stressed the need to accelerate work on combating torture, a practice that is unacceptable but still present, and a crime to which no statutory limitations apply according to the Constitution. Brazil noted its concern regarding reports of torture at the international level in cases of terrorism investigations. Brazil also noted the need to improve the system of protection of human rights defenders throughout the country. 16. In the context of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration, Brazil has proposed the creation of Human Rights Voluntary Goals stemming from an initiative of the States of