A/HRC/7/8 page 11 35. As of 31 October 2007, the following Governments had responded to the questionnaire: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Monaco, Oman, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Suriname, Turkey, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. The Special Rapporteur looks forward to continuing to receive substantial responses to this questionnaire. 36. Unfortunately, the responses received from Lebanon, Russian Federation and Ukraine could not be reflected in the report, owing to the non-receipt of those translations. As for the late responses received from Colombia, Estonia and Suriname, they could also not be considered in this report for the same reason. 37. The questionnaire was also sent to NGOs and intergovernmental organizations, and replies were received from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Casa Alianza (Honduras), ECPAT International, the International Federation Terre des Hommes and World Vision International. 38. The Special Rapporteur would like to warmly thank all those who responded to the questionnaire. A relevant selection of the experiences and initiatives on which information was received is outlined in this report. A. Guidelines for assistance and rehabilitation programmes and shelters 39. The Special Rapporteur is of the opinion that children can only be freed from exploitation and abuse when they live in a “protective environment”, which means living in safety and dignity in their own community and family. Children will also be less vulnerable to abuse when they are aware of their right not to be exploited, or of services available to protect them, which means the need for permanent and massive preventive campaigns in the mass media and also in schools and on the streets. 40. The IOM handbook on Direct Assistance for Victims of Trafficking1 shows a very good procedure to follow when taking care of children who suffered sexual exploitation. After visiting during his missions many shelters, reintegration and rehabilitation services for children who were victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation, and having consulted these guidelines, the Special Rapporteur believes a shelter or a rehabilitation programme need to include at least the following elements: − Medical care: A victim’s physical and mental well-being is critical to his or her recovery. Health practitioners are responsible for employing health-promoting strategies and help children to reclaim and further develop their competencies for an active and 1 International Organization for Migration, “The IOM handbook on direct assistance for victims of trafficking”, Geneva, 2007, available at http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/cache/offonce/pid/1674?entryId=13452.