A/HRC/7/39 page 22 of income and wealth, is 58.6, the third worst in Latin America.50 Progress is therefore needed in identifying the most appropriate instruments with which to measure the effective enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. 76. In 2007, the Government’s initiative in implementing the pilot phase of the Social Protection Network for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (a project known as JUNTOS) plans to extend social services, and has a target of 1.5 million families as potential beneficiaries, of which 300,000 families are victims of forced displacement. The beneficiaries receive cash subsidies with the condition that their children attend school and go for medical check-ups. The programme has extended the access to services in rural areas, but its impact on the reduction of overall poverty and inequity is contingent on further advances in an integral policy against poverty. The high rate of economic growth in 2007 and the reduction of unemployment51 were not accompanied by an improvement in the quality of employment contracts. 77. In 2007 reforms to the Social Security (Health) System52 came into effect, relieving the lowest income earners from any obligation to make contributions.53 This measure may help to eliminate barriers to access of the poorest groups to health services: access to these services is at present not equitable, particularly in the case of displaced populations, indigenous groups, women, adolescents and the elderly. 78. The reforms to the regime of budget transfers from the central Government to regional and local governments approved in 2007 will modify the distribution of funds received by the regions for education, health, drinking water and sanitation services,54 and its impact on both the coverage and quality of services is still uncertain. As a point of context of this development, the Ombudsman has denounced the fact that in 2007 over 16 million Colombians did not have access to drinking water. The State also failed to comply fully with the mandate of the Constitution that education for those aged between 5 and 15 (including at least one year of pre-school and nine years of basic education) should be universal, free and mandatory. Finally, other norms approved this year will make it more difficult to recognize land ownership rights of the displaced in rural areas.55 50 United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2007/2008, 2007. 51 Official figures from the government statistical bureau, DANE, indicate that unemployment decreased from 11.9 per cent in the December 2005 to November 2006 period, to 11.3 per cent in the same period in the following year. 52 Law 1122 of 2007, which modifies the General System of Social Health Security. 53 Article 14, para. g, Law 1122 of 2007. 54 Legislative Act 4 of 2007, which reforms articles 356 and 357 of the Constitution. 55 Law 1152 of 2007, which establishes the Statute on Rural Development and reforms the Colombian Institute of Rural Development (INCODER).