A/HRC/23/3 40. Germany, concerned by various acts of discrimination against Roma, asked how France ensured that it met its obligations under international law, given the treatment of Roma by police. Noting the overcrowding and poor conditions in prisons, it asked what measures were being envisaged to improve the situation. 41. The leader of the French delegation said that France could not be satisfied with the state of its prisons. Criticism of detention conditions was heard from abroad as well as at home. Monitoring of places of detention (by the judiciary, parliamentarians and the administration’s internal monitoring mechanisms) had been stepped up. 42. Since 2007, France had established a number of additional monitoring mechanisms to ensure better protection of the rights of detainees; they included the Inspector-General of Prisons as well as the 150 deputies of the Defender of Rights who carried out prison visits. 43. France’s objective was to update and modernize its prisons by closing down outdated facilities and building new ones to increase capacity. Some of the places in them would be set aside for the social rehabilitation of prisoners. Furthermore, the Prisons Act of 24 November 2009 established the principle of making all prison terms more flexible, with imprisonment becoming the exception. The use of alternative measures to detention needed to be further encouraged. 44. Prison staff now received more training in preventing suicide in prison. The Prisons Act set strict rules for the use of force by prison staff, limiting it to legitimate defence in the case of violent resistance and making it conditional on proportionality and strict necessity in preventing escapes or restoring order. 45. In application of the principles of the indivisibility of the Republic, equality before the law and the unity of the French people, France did not recognize the existence of groups or communities with specific rights. France thus did not recognize the Roma as a group and did not collect statistics related to ethnic origin. However, neither did it underestimate the problems it was facing, and it set its action against the background of what was happening at European level, as the whole of the continent was concerned. A national strategy for the inclusion of Roma had been adopted in February 2012, with priority on access to education, employment, health and housing. 46. Illegal camps were dismantled in response to an immediate danger or health risk, in particular. However, it was the task of the local Government services, in partnership with local authorities and associations, to ensure that they responded properly to the situation of the individuals and families concerned. As soon as a camp was set up, prefects should conduct a diagnostic survey of needs in respect of health care, employment and schooling for children. Before beginning to dismantle any illegal installations, they must, first and foremost, provide emergency accommodation. An interministerial delegate for accommodation and access to housing was responsible for coordination at all levels, from local to national, to allow a proper response to all types of situation. 47. Secularism was a principle of freedom in France, and had three aspects: the neutrality of public officials, consideration of religious practice and equal attention from the authorities to the different religions. Under French law, it was thus possible to grant leave of absence for religious festivals, to perform ritual slaughter, to set aside specific places in cemeteries for the non-Christian religions and to grant indirect assistance for the construction and maintenance of places of worship. 48. Implementation of the Act on wearing symbols or attire that ostensibly demonstrate religious affiliation in public primary and secondary schools had been unproblematic. The vast majority of cases had been resolved through dialogue. The Ministry of Education Ombudsman had not received any complaints and there were no cases pending before the courts. The European Court of Human Rights had confirmed that the restrictions prescribed GE.13-12484 7