A/HRC/14/37 urged the authorities at all levels to continue to follow these issues with the necessary attention. 685. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was pleased that Bosnia and Herzegovina had accepted a number of recommendations, including its recommendations to expedite the establishment of a national preventive mechanism for torture, to repeal the death penalty from the Constitution of Republika Srpska, and to amend the country’s Constitution to prevent discrimination against minorities. It repeated its call for the full implementation of another of its recommendations, which had been partially accepted, to improve the effectiveness of the State-level Ombudsman to ensure adherence to the Paris Principles. It also emphasized the ongoing needs of assistance for 117,000 displaced persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 3. General comments made by other relevant stakeholders 686. Amnesty International welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s commitment to women victims of sexual violence war crimes during the 1992–1995 war. It called on the Government to ensure that both the draft State law and the national programme for the reparation for all civilian victims of war crimes, were adopted without further delay and in consultation with survivors. Survivors should be guaranteed access to justice and reparation, and provided with affordable health services, including psychosocial support centres, as well as housing and employment. It welcomed the commencement of several trials relating to sexual violence war crimes before the State Court, while other cases had reached the trial chamber stage or final judgement. It emphasized the importance of the recommendation to establish a comprehensive witness protection scheme. It urged the Government to amend the criminal code to include the definition of sexual violence. 687. Verein Sudwind Entwicklungspolitik stressed the urgent need to improve the safety of refugees returning to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and stated that international aid and know-how should be sought, as referred to in recommendations 117 to 122. Human rights defenders must be properly protected and impunity must end. A new State should rest on the trust of the people in the justice of the basic institutions of State and society, as accepted in recommendations 88 to 97. With regard to human trafficking, it advised Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to eliminate discrimination against women, as accepted in recommendations 34 to 37. 688. In a joint statement, the European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Federation, and Federatie van Nederlandse Verenigingen tot Integratie Van Homoseksualiteit – COC Nederland welcomed the positive response of Bosnia and Herzegovina to recommendations to guarantee effective protection against all discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and asked what specific plans the Government had to give effect to those commitments. Noting concerns at ongoing discrimination faced by marginalized groups, they urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement increased measures to combat hate crimes. They also requested that the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity be applied as a guide to assist in policy development. 689. The International Save the Children Alliance, on behalf of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Working Group on Child Protection, urged the Government to sign and ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation, to introduce the prohibition of corporal punishment of children into national laws and to promote alternatives to traditional disciplining of children. It called on the Government to implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the GE.12-17781 151