A/HRC/13/56 Convention. Portuguese law guaranteed the basic human rights of all migrant workers and members of their families, regardless of their status, such as access to health services and education. 524. Regarding the accepted recommendations to become a party to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Portugal had signed on 24 September 2009, to ratify as soon as possible the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and to ratify as soon as possible the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, Portugal stated that, since December 2009, it had been initiating the procedure of ratification, involving the Government, Parliament and the President of the Republic, and was hoping that their instruments of ratification would be deposited by the next session of the General Assembly. 525. With regard to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, Portugal stated that an intergovernmental working group had been set up to identify the national preventive mechanism for the monitoring of detention facilities in compliance with the criteria laid down in the Optional Protocol. This process was proceeding simultaneously with the ratification procedure. 526. With regard to the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and in line with the recommendation to continue to play an important role in multilateral forums in support of the promotion and protection of these rights, Portugal has initiated diplomatic efforts to promote its ratification with the aim of ensuring a prompt entry into force. 527. Portugal had deposited the instruments of ratification of both the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol thereto on 23 September 2009. They had come into force on 23 October 2009, and the National Institute for Rehabilitation was the national focal point. It had progressively been adopting legislation in this area in recent years. 528. Regarding the recommendation to establish a national human rights institution, Portugal stated that the Ombudsman (Provedor de Justiça) had been accredited as a national human rights institution with “A” status by the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, in conformity with the Paris Principles, since 1999. It was an independent organ dedicated to the defence of the legitimate rights and interests of citizens. Citizens could submit complaints about actions or omissions of the public authorities to the Ombudsman, who would investigate them and make recommendations to the competent bodies to prevent or redress cases of injustice. 529. Portugal also recalled that a national initiative for childhood and adolescence, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations study on violence against children had been elaborated in 2007. The national initiative took into account the transversal nature of issues relating to children’s rights and the need to define adequate resources, establish priorities and allocate budgets, which were all essential to create favourable conditions to guarantee these rights. 530. Regarding the phenomenon of street children, Portugal stated that numerous initiatives and efforts had been undertaken and the problem was no longer a significant issue. 531. Portugal set up, in 2008, an inter-ministerial working group to review and elaborate all overdue reports to treaty bodies. Portugal expressed hope that, with the new impetus that 158