A/HRC/6/19 page 49 the Secretary. The decree appointed representatives of the West Darfur State Police, National Security, the Office of the Prosecutor, the Judiciary, the Sudanese Red Crescent, the Sudanese Women’s Union, the Sudanese Working Women’s Union, the Family Union, the Chairperson of the Peace Committee of the State Legislative Council, UNICEF, OCHA and two NGOs as members of the committee. Representatives of AMIS, the Head of Office of UNMIS and the Human Rights Team Leader of UNMIS were appointed as observers. The committee’s mandate also was altered to focus on increasing the awareness of women about protection, creating units of women police to receive complaints of violence against women in hospitals, following up on complaints, investigations and court procedures and preparing statistics and reports. Additionally, the committee was tasked to meet every two weeks. As of the end of October 2007, the Chairperson had not convened any committee session and therefore no work plan had been developed by the time of the writing of the present report. In South Darfur, although the State Committee had finalized its action plan, implementation has been deficient due to a lack of leadership and financial resources. The State Committee appears to have convened more regularly than the other two Committees. In North Darfur, even though the State Committee has met only occasionally, it has been active on cases of sexual violence, and in organizing activities outside El Fasher. The State Committee had developed a work plan, although most activities planned have not yet taken place, for several reasons including lack of funds. The main objectives in the work plan relate to the dissemination of the rules of application for Criminal Circular No. 2, and to the creation of awareness on women’s rights and on issues dealing with violence against women, mainly in rural areas. Assessment of Implementation of Recommendation 1.2.4 Work plans for State Committees were developed but no clear objectives, targets and time-frames were provided in the Government’s Violence against Women Unit’s report. Activities were reportedly limited and had limited impact. Recommendation 1.2.5 Short-term Issue and immediately enforce clear instructions to all authorities, including the armed forces, and any militia under the Government’s control that rape and other forms of sexual violence are prohibited; that they may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity; that suspects, including bearers of command responsibility, will be investigated and brought to justice and that any immunities would be waived. Publish and widely disseminate these instructions. Indicators: Instructions issued and widely disseminated. Number of incidents attributable to Government authorities or any militia under Government’s control. Response of the Government of the Sudan on Recommendation 1.2.5 Written information submitted to the group of experts on Darfur on 21 August 2007 Draft orders to the armed forces were prepared prohibiting all kinds of attacks on civilians, including torture and violence against women, and stipulating that perpetrators of criminal