A/HRC/14/37 as evidence or whether there is a need for a new clinical and empirical study. A social study on female genital mutilation was also being conducted and supported by UNICEF; an education programme on gender and religion would also be launched soon. 594. With respect to recommendation 15, the Gambia reported that there were laws already in place to protect children against violence and abuse of all forms. Efforts were also being made through the Department of Social Welfare to sensitize communities and institutions on child protection and the use of alternative disciplinary measures for children, with a view to involve them in promoting these alternative measures. Similarly, a training manual on alternative disciplinary measures had been developed and introduced in teacher training college curriculum. The Child Protection Alliance, a locally-based civil society organization, was also working in partnership with the Government and communities to sensitize them on the promotion of alternative disciplinary measures for children. 595. On the issue of juvenile justice, the Government of the Gambia was concerned, as the Children’s Act 2005 clearly provided for the adequate protection of children in conflict with the law. The Government, through the Ministry of the Interior, had identified sites where new corrective centres for child offenders would be built. Currently, there was a separate juvenile wing in one of the prisons, completely isolated from the main prison camp, and some basic structures had been put in place to make it child-friendly. Social workers at the Department of Social Welfare conducted regular visits to the wing to provide counselling and other services, to bring parents into contact with their children, and ensured a sustained and well-defined reintegration programme. Children had access to basic education and skills training. Training manuals on juvenile justice had been developed by the police and prison training schools. The after-arrest procedures, developed for the police, were being reviewed, and the special rules of procedure for the Children’s Court had been validated in April 2010. 596. There were recommendations for the establishment of a national human rights commission (16–19). The possibility of having a separate body, or of expanding the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman, was being looked into. The Gambia looked forward to working with international and regional bodies for technical assistance in this area. 597. The National Council for Civic Education was an institution established under the Constitution. It enjoyed its independence, but owing to its limited financial resources, the Gambia had approached UNDP and other international donors to assist in this regard. 598. Regarding the timelines for submitting overdue reports, as highlighted in recommendations 21 and 22, the delegation reported that in view of the serious capacity and financial constraints, the Gambia would endeavour, in the next years (subject to the technical and financial assistance of United Nations human rights bodies and the international community) to submit all pending reports. 599. The Gambia was also committed to cooperating with the special procedures mandate holders and would therefore treat with utmost urgency any request for invitations by them. Such cooperation had been established with the African Union and with many international and civil society organizations (recommendations 22–27). 600. Recommendations 33 to 35 called for the establishment of a moratorium on the death penalty, ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a review of the Constitution and the abolition of death penalty. There was already a moratorium on the death penalty since 1995, when it was reintroduced; all prisoners sentenced to death were serving life imprisonment terms and none had been executed. However, it does not intend to abolish the death penalty, now or any time soon. It was a punishment meant for very serious crimes only, with adequate guarantees for the application of due process. 138 GE.12-17781